Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight
by INouveaux18
Summary: Thirty years after the war against Giygas, eight new heroes must band together to face an even greater threat.
1. Earthbound 202X Prologue Part 1

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Prologue Part 1**

In the small town of Primera, in the country of Hawkland… In an unobtrusive house near the great forest on the southern edge of town…

Zain was suddenly jarred awake by a colossal explosion in the distance. Rubbing his eyes, he checked his alarm clock.  
It was 1:52 AM.  
Zain rubbed his eyes again. _This isn't a very good time to be getting up_, he thought. _I wonder what that large noise was?_  
He got out of bed. Running his hand through his blond hair, he looked out the window. A dense fog covered everywhere, and it was impossible to see very far.  
"Zain, are you okay?" His mother suddenly burst into the room.  
Zain looked at her, feeling that she had overreacted. "Something exploded in the forest, Mom," he replied. "It's not as if something happened to the house or to us."  
"I know," said his mother. "It's just that you and your brother are all I have left, and if something were to happen to either of you…"  
Suddenly Zain's younger 10-year-old brother Selrey entered the room, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "What's going on, Mom?" he asked.  
"I was just about to check on you," replied their mother. "Are you okay, Selrey?"  
"I'm fine," he answered. "I just heard this huge explosion, and it woke me up."  
Their mother sighed in relief. "All right. As long as you both are okay, then you should just go back to bed. I don't know what the explosion was, but they'll probably have it on the news tomorrow. So both of you just get some sleep."  
Zain stood up to his full height, which was equal to his mother's height. "I'm going to check it out," he said.  
His mother started at this. "Absolutely not! You can't go gallivanting around the forest at this hour! We should all be in bed!"  
"But what if there are more explosions?" demanded Zain. "What if there's another one, and it hits the house? I need to check out what caused this."  
The boys' mother sighed; once her older son made up his mind about something, there was no persuading him otherwise. He was just like his father in that respect.  
"All right, Zain," she said. "I don't like it, but all right. Just don't be out there too long; the news said that the Madness is beginning to affect creatures here, and local animals could probably go crazy. In fact, you should take your old baseball bat to defend yourself with, in case the worst should happen."  
"Okay, Mom," said Zain.  
"I want to go too!" Selrey announced.  
His mother turned to him. "Don't you even think about it, young man! You're going straight back to bed this instant!"  
Selrey turned and walked out the door, pouting. "Awwwww… Why does Zain always get to do cool stuff?"  
The boys' mother followed Selrey out. Before she left the room, she turned to Zain. "You should also put some clothes on before you go out, Zain. I don't think you want to be wandering around the forest wearing nothing but those boxer shorts."  
Zain rolled his eyes. "I know, Mom…"

Zain put on his clothes: a pair of jeans, a white T-shirt, a red vest, and his trusty sneakers. After he was dressed, he tied his father's old aviator goggles around his head (like a headband) for good luck. If he ever had to, he could pull them down over his eyes for eye protection, but he usually wore them out of sentimental value.  
Then Zain opened up his trunk and dug out his old baseball bat. It was a far cry from some of the newer models, but it would have to do. "I hope I don't encounter anything in the forest," he said to himself.  
As he left, his mother saw him out. "Please be careful, Zain," she told him. "I don't want to see you end up like your father."  
"I'll be careful," he promised.

Zain's house was right on the outskirts of the large forest to the south of Primera. He went out the back door; the entire area was covered in a veil of fog. "It's going to be hard going through the forest in these conditions," he said.  
He started walking through the forest. Almost immediately, the fog hid his house from view. _Am I even going to be able to find my way back?_ Zain wondered.  
For a moment, Zain considered giving up this crazy idea and going back to the safety of his house. But explosions didn't usually happen in forests; there was something not right about it. He had to find out what caused it, if only to protect his home. With this resolve, he trudged onward.

He tried to walk straight to the place where he thought the explosion had come from; that way, he could just walk straight back and get home.  
As Zain went deeper and deeper into the forest, it began to become more and more ominous. He was totally surrounded by thick fog, and he couldn't see anything more than a few feet in front of him. _What if there are creatures of the Madness out here?_ he wondered.  
He began to feel very foolish for wanting to come out here. Feeling a bit scared, he clutched his bat tightly.  
He heard a twig snap, and froze, not daring to even breathe. How could he have been so stupid as to go charging out into the forest at night?  
Another twig snapped, this time behind him. Zain slowly turned to face the source of the sound, feeling more scared than he had ever been in his life.  
Slowly, a wildcat appeared out of the fog, glaring at him hungrily. One look at its eyes told Zain everything he needed to know: its eyes had the red glint of the Madness.  
It let out a roar and pounced at him.  
Zain managed to roll out of the way, almost too late. The wildcat landed on its feet and spun around to face him, preparing to pounce again.  
Zain held his bat in a defensive position; he was going to be ready this time. The wildcat pounced again; Zain sidestepped the attack and brought his bat down on the creature as hard as he could swing it.  
Injured, the wildcat roared furiously. It charged at him, ready to cut him to ribbons with its razor-sharp claws. Frantically, Zain dodged the attack and smashed the wildcat with his bat again.  
The wildcat became tame, and the Madness vanished from its eyes. It meowed pitifully, and slunk away into the fog.  
Zain sighed in relief. He felt more confident now; if he could defeat a creature of the Madness, then he would probably be okay.  
He continued in the direction of the explosion.

After a while, he finally reached the spot where the explosion had apparently come from. The foliage overhead was burned away; some of it was still on fire, but with the thick fog, it wouldn't be on fire for long.  
In the ground there was a large meteorite. Zain stared at it in surprise. "No wonder there was an explosion; a meteorite fell!" he exclaimed.  
The meteorite was still extremely hot, and it was glowing strangely. "Do meteorites glow like this?" Zain wondered.  
"It's no ordinary meteorite," answered another voice from within the fog.  
Startled, Zain brought up his bat. "Who's there? Show yourself!" he demanded.  
The other figure stepped out of the fog, and Zain could see him clearly. He had blond hair and wore a pair of glasses, and looked to be at least forty years old. His clothes were battered-looking, and he cautiously looked this way and that as he approached. He held a large gun in his hand, and there were at least three more guns slung over his shoulders, along with a backpack.  
"I figured you would come here after hearing it fall, Zain," said the strange man.  
"Who are you?" Zain demanded. "How do you know my name?"  
"I know a lot about you, Zain Maximillian," replied the man. "You're a lot similar to another person I once knew." He paused for a moment. "My name is Jeff Andonuts."  
Zain's eyes widened. "Jeff Andonuts? The hero who helped save the world from Giygas 30 years ago?"  
Jeff nodded. "The same. I am here because of this meteor, and what it signifies."  
Still in shock at meeting one of the four heroes of 30 years ago, Zain asked, "What do you mean?"  
Jeff stared at the meteor. "History is about to repeat itself."  
"R… Repeat itself?"  
"Yes," replied Jeff with a nod. "But before I go into that, I have to talk to you about PSI."  
Zain was feeling more and more bewildered. "But what does PSI have to do with me?"  
"Everything," said Jeff. "First of all, you can use PSI, Zain. You have the gift."  
Zain shook his head in disbelief. "That can't be true. I'm just an average, ordinary guy."  
"You're wrong," said Jeff. "I've studied PSI for 30 years now, and I know what I'm talking about. If a person has the gift, you can see it in their eyes; their eyes have a certain sparkle that normal people don't have. I see that same sparkle in your eyes, Zain."  
Zain blinked. "Are you sure? If I remember the story correctly, the hero Ness displayed psychic powers when he was young. I'm 16, and I've never had any kind of powers."  
"It's true that the gift normally shows up early in a person's life," Jeff agreed. "But it hasn't done so in you, and that has a special deep significance that even I can't fathom. While you grew up, the gift has been sleeping in you, waiting for a chance to be awakened—and if I'm right, it's been growing stronger and stronger as it waited."  
Zain tried to protest again, but Jeff held up his hand. "You have the gift for PSI, Zain, stop trying to deny it. You're supposed to just accept all this like it's normal. That's what Ness, Paula, Poo, and I did."  
Zain still didn't believe it, but he shut up just to appease Jeff. "So what do you mean by 'history repeating itself?'"  
"I mean exactly that," Jeff answered. "30 years ago in the year 199X, the four of us defeated Giygas, and changed the future of our world. If we hadn't intervened, then Giygas would have taken over our planet, and the world would be a very different place right now.  
"However, when we changed the future, not all that changed was good. Although we defeated Giygas, the 'devil's machine,' we opened up the way for his replacement."  
Zain's jaw dropped. "His… replacement?"  
"Yes," said Jeff. "My colleague Apple Man and I have spent the last 30 years studying something called the 'Apple of Enlightenment.' The Apple of Enlightenment consists of many prophecies, created eons ago. It predicted Giygas, and it also predicted the Chosen Four. From what we've deciphered, it also predicts that someone will replace Giygas.  
"This entity will be exponentially stronger than Giygas was," Jeff continued, sounding as if he were lecturing a class, "and he will cover this world in absolute evil for all eternity."  
Zain was overcome with dread. An entity more powerful than Giygas… How could anyone stand up against such power? "Is there no hope, then?" he asked.  
Jeff adjusted his glasses. "There is one last hope for the world," he declared. "The Apple of Enlightenment also prophesies the advent of the Chosen Eight."  
Zain stared at him. "The Chosen Eight?"  
Jeff nodded. "The Chosen Eight are the world's final hope. Like the Chosen Four who came before them, it is their solemn duty and destiny to defeat this new evil." He held up four fingers on one hand, and then four fingers on the other. "Four boys and four girls. They must stand against the new evil in Earth's true final battle. If they fail, then Earth's last hope is gone. If they prevail, then all shadow will be driven from Earth forever."  
Jeff looked down at the meteor, still glowing strangely. "This meteor is a sign that the new evil is rising. It is the same kind of meteor as the one that fell to Onett, Eagleland near Ness' house. That meteor marked Ness as the leader of the Chosen Four…" He looked up and stared at Zain. "And now, this meteor marks you as the leader of the Chosen Eight."  
Zain was overcome with such surprise that he actually staggered backward. "Me?" he squeaked. "Me, the leader of the Chosen Eight? But… Why?"  
"Because you are," Jeff replied. "Like it or not, that's what you are. Apple Man and I have studied all of this for years now, and we've all but absolutely confirmed that although the meteor is a sign of evil to come, it also marks the leader of the ones who will oppose it."  
"But I can't!" Zain shouted. "I'm no leader! I'm just an average guy! How can someone like me possibly fight a terrible evil?"  
"I told you, Zain," Jeff repeated, "You're just supposed to accept this. That's what Ness did. He was younger than you are, and look what he accomplished."  
"But I have to take care of my family," Zain protested. "My father passed away several years ago! I have to take care of Mom and Selrey, and protect them from creatures of the Madness!"  
Jeff stepped toward him around the meteor, starting to get tired of Zain's wild protests. "Zain, don't you realize what the Madness is? It's the influence of the new evil on the weak-minded! That's what Giygas did, too! Animals would go crazy and start attacking everyone! If you want to protect your family, then you have to put a stop to the Madness!"  
Zain looked down. "But…"  
"But nothing!" Jeff shouted. "This is your destiny, Zain! It's what you have to do!" He grabbed Zain by the shoulders. "You have to do this! You are the leader of Earth's last hope! If you do nothing, then Earth's last hope is already dead!"  
His glasses fell off, but he didn't notice. "Look around you, Zain. Look at the world around you. Are you really willing to condemn it all to eternal darkness? Can you live with the knowledge that you had a chance to stop it, and instead you did nothing?"  
Zain turned and looked at the meteor. He stood there for several minutes, not moving, not saying a word. Jeff bent down and retrieved his glasses, wiped them off, and put them back on.  
Finally, Zain turned back to Jeff. Looking into his eyes, Jeff saw almost a different person. "What do I have to do?" he asked.  
Jeff smiled. "In order for the Chosen Eight to become powerful enough to stop the new evil, they must gain the Earth's power. This is similar to what Ness did, by going to 8 'Your Sanctuary' locations. However, where Ness absorbed the power of all 8 locations into himself alone, the Chosen Eight are different. One location will empower one member of the Chosen Eight, so each member of the Chosen Eight will receive Earth's power."  
Zain nodded. "So I have to travel to Eagleland and visit all 8 of the 'Your Sanctuary' locations?"  
Jeff shook his head. "Those locations were for Ness and Ness alone. They no longer possess the power they once did. Giant Step is powerless, the Lilliput Steps are just tiny marks in the ground, the Milky Well is a normal geyser, the Rainy Circle is just a puddle of water, the Magnet Hill is just a regular rock, the Pink Cloud is gone, the Lumine Hall no longer shines, and the Fire Spring is extinct. Their power went into Ness, so they no longer have power.  
"The 8 Sanctuaries you must visit, Zain, are different, located in different locations around the world. I searched for them, so that you wouldn't have to, but I couldn't find them. Apple Man was able to figure out one of them: the Pillar of Lumina, which is located somewhere right here in Primera. I'm sorry, but you'll have to find the rest on your own."  
He suddenly remembered something. "And also, if you visit a Sanctuary location without the person who can receive its power, then the location won't react."  
"Is Lumina Pillar my Sanctuary, then?" asked Zain.  
"I don't know for sure, but I don't think so," said Jeff. "I have a feeling that it's for someone else. It's just a hunch."  
"How am I supposed to get its power, then?" Zain asked.  
"Don't worry," Jeff assured him. "Destiny has been set in motion. Soon, you will meet other members of the Chosen Eight; I don't know when, but it will be soon. Though you are the leader, all 8 of you are equally important, and it is imperative that you all find each other as soon as possible. Since you are the leader, they will be drawn to you, so be aware of that. As Ness was told when he began his adventure, three things are of the utmost importance: wisdom, courage, and friendship. Remember that."  
"I will," Zain promised.  
Jeff held out a small object, about the size of Zain's fist. "This is the Sound Stone," he explained. "By studying the one that Ness used to have, I was eventually able to create a duplicate. Each Sanctuary location will have one piece of the Earth's melody. This Sound Stone will record that melody. When you have all 8 pieces and you have completed the melody, then the Chosen Eight will receive the power of the Earth."  
Zain took the Sound Stone; it was smooth and blue, and something was swirling around inside it. He put it in his pocket.  
He looked at Jeff again. "Jeff, are you one of the Chosen Eight?"  
Jeff shook his head. "I'm one of the Chosen Four; my destiny has already been fulfilled. Besides, the prophecy says, 'Four boys and four girls.' I don't think I qualify as a boy anymore."  
He adjusted his glasses again. "However, that doesn't mean I'm not going to help you. I'm going to go along with you and help you fight the new evil."  
"Really?" asked Zain. "That's great!"  
Jeff looked back the way Zain had come. "We've wasted too much time here," he said. "We have to get going. Let's go back to your house; you should tell your family goodbye."

They headed back through the forest. Once, they encountered another wildcat that had been taken by the Madness. Jeff blasted it once with his gun, and it became tame. Zain watched in awe; this was the power of one of the Chosen Four.  
After defeating it, they continued onward. The fog had not lifted any, and they proceeded cautiously.  
Suddenly Jeff stopped. "Something's coming!" he exclaimed.  
In a flash of light, something appeared in front of them. It approached them haughtily.  
"Oh no…" said Jeff. "Not already…"  
"So, Jeff Andonuts, you seek to set destiny in motion?" said the newcomer in a monotone, emotionless voice. "It is in the interest of our master that you do not. You may have defeated others like me before, but you will find that I am much different than they were. I am more powerful than they could ever be! I am the Starman Junior X! And here is where you will perish!" Zain winced at its cheesy dialogue.  
The Starman Junior X did look like a Starman, but it was sleeker and stronger-looking. On its chest was displayed a bold red X.  
Jeff didn't even bother to reply to it. He called to Zain, "Stay out of this fight! This is beyond your level right now!" Zain did as he was told, keeping back. Jeff lifted his gun and fired.  
The shot bounced off of the Starman Junior X, not even scratching it. "Your useless weapons cannot damage me," it said. "How can you hope to accomplish anything against me? You don't even have PSI."  
"I don't need it!" shouted Jeff. He tossed the gun away and took up one of the other ones slung over his shoulder. "If you think that gun was my best, then you haven't met the Gaia Beam Version 3.0!"  
He fired. The blast smashed into the Starman Junior X, blasting it backwards.  
It got up again. One of its arms was missing, and it was dented and broken all over. "How dare you!" it cried. "You will pay for disfiguring me! PSI Fire Omega!"  
The extreme fire attack smashed into Jeff, knocking him backwards. Zain was not affected by it, because he wasn't within range.  
Jeff tried to stagger to his feet, burned and smoking. The Starman Junior X made an eerie mechanical laughing sound. "Where is your immense power now, Jeff Andonuts?" it asked.  
It started to approach him, to finish him off. "To think that one of the Chosen Four is eliminated by something as lowly as I," it said. "The other two, your precious Ness and Paula, did not go down nearly so easily."  
Jeff struggled to ready his gun. "Your kind will pay for what they did to my friends," he said. "I'll make you pay!"  
"You will join them soon," retorted the Starman Junior X. "PSI Beam Omega!"  
A large and powerful beam shot from the enemy's remaining hand and blasted straight through Jeff. Jeff screamed in agony.  
Zain couldn't believe this was happening. His destiny was going to end before it even started. And even worse, a person that Zain already considered a friend was being killed before Zain's eyes, and Zain was standing there, doing nothing. He shut his eyes, angry at himself for being so powerless.  
Something inside him snapped. He was not going to allow this… thing… to harm Jeff any longer.  
"I'll kill you!" Zain shouted at the Starman Junior X. He advanced on the enemy, rage burning in his eyes.  
The Starman Junior X turned to him. "You are a mere boy," it said. "There is nothing you can do to harm me." It looked at Jeff. "Jeff Andonuts, I will give you a gift. I will let you watch this boy die before you do, so that all of your hope will be crushed."  
"Run away, Zain!" Jeff cried. "Just run away! You can't fight this enemy yet! You'll be killed!"  
Zain didn't hear him. He stood before the Starman Junior X, his hands clenched into fists at his side. Scarcely aware of what he was doing, he raised his right hand and spread his fingers at the enemy. "Leave Jeff alone!" he growled.  
The Starman Junior X made that mechanical laughing sound again. "Very well, boy, I will humor you. Take your best shot, and then you will die."  
"I'll rip you apart!" Zain screamed. "PSI Hyperion Alpha!"  
From his outstretched hand, a colossal burst of light exploded. A multitude of tiny stars, each as bright as the sun, burst forth from the light and smashed into the Starman Junior X. Each one erupted in a burst of sunlight as it connected.  
The Starman Junior X was only able to say one thing before it exploded. "Impossible—"  
When it was all over, Zain's arm dropped to his side. He looked at the remains of his enemy, breathing heavily. The Starman Junior X was totally scrapped.  
Zain went over to Jeff. "Jeff!" he cried. "Are you okay?"  
Jeff ignored the question. "Do you believe me now about your PSI, Zain?" he asked. "I was right; your PSI is incredibly powerful."  
Zain then saw the extent of Jeff's injuries. His burns were very bad, and he was covering a large bloody spot with his hand where the beam had hit him. "Jeff, you…"  
"I think it did me in," said Jeff. His glasses had fallen off. "It's my own fault. I underestimated it, because it was a Starman Junior."  
He looked up at Zain. "Zain, I'm really sorry, but it looks like you'll have to go on by yourself."  
"No!" Zain cried. "I need your help, Jeff! You can't die!"  
"Don't worry," Jeff assured him. "You'll soon meet other friends. You have to keep going. You're the leader."  
"But…" Zain protested.  
"Just leave me here. It's over for me."  
"No!" Zain shouted. He placed his hand on Jeff's wounds. "Lifeup Alpha!"  
Jeff looked at Zain in surprise as his wounds partially healed. "So you can do that too…" he mused.  
He felt his wounds. "I think you did it, Zain. I think I'm going to pull through after all."  
Zain sighed in relief. "Thank goodness…"  
Jeff slowly got to his feet, wincing in pain. "But I still can't stay with you as I planned," he added.  
"Why not?" asked Zain.  
"That Starman wasn't after you, at least not primarily," Jeff explained. "It was after ME. As long as I'm with you, you're in danger."  
Zain nodded reluctantly. "I understand."  
"That's more like it," said Jeff. "You're supposed to just accept these things. Don't question them, just accept them."  
As Jeff gathered his guns, Zain asked, "Will you be alright?"  
"I'll be fine," Jeff answered. "I'm going to go back to where the meteor is. I hid the Phase Distorter III close by. I'll just use it to go back to my lab in Winters. Apple Man and I have to analyze these new enemies that are appearing. I'd also like to run a study on the PSI you used to destroy the Starman. I've never seen anything like that before; the closest thing is Poo's PSI Starstorm."  
"Will I see you again?" Zain asked.  
"Of course you will," Jeff replied. "I'll keep in touch with you through this."  
He tossed an object at Zain. Zain caught it; it was a portable telephone, not unlike a cellular phone. "That's Ness' old Receiver Phone," Jeff explained, bending down to pick up his glasses. "I modified it, so you can use it to make outgoing calls. Best of all, it won't cost you any money to use, since you might end up having to call a lot of people. Keep it with you, because I'll use it to get in touch with you, and others might too."  
He turned to Zain, putting his glasses back on. "Now you have to go on, Zain. Your journey begins now. You have a destiny to fulfill."  
Zain nodded in understanding. "I will." He put the Receiver Phone in his backpack.  
"And be careful," Jeff warned. "You will inevitably encounter other minions of the new evil. Not only that, but you will also encounter other people with evil desires. And also, don't forget that many animals are under the influence of the Madness. All of these will seek to destroy you, so be careful, and be strong."  
"I will," Zain promised.

He finally reached his home. He felt stronger than he had been before this whole thing had started. In RPG terms, he had gained 2 levels.  
Zain entered the house. His mother was still awake, and she rushed over to him when he came inside. "You're back!" she said. "You're okay!"  
Zain looked at her. "Mom, it was a meteor that caused the explosion."  
"A meteor?" said his mother. "It's a good thing it didn't hit the house, then."  
"That's not all," continued Zain. "I have to leave again, Mom."

She didn't take that well, just as Zain had expected. So he sat with her at the dining room table and went over everything he had experienced that night, from meeting Jeff to learning of his destiny to fighting the Starman Junior X.  
"So you see, Mom," he concluded, "I have to go."  
Slowly, reluctantly, his mother nodded. "I understand."  
She came over and hugged him tightly. "Just promise me that you won't end up like your father. Promise that you'll come home."  
"I'll come home, Mom," Zain vowed. "I promise." And he meant it.

He left without saying goodbye to Selrey; it was better that way. If Selrey had known Zain was leaving, he would have wanted to come too, and Mom would have flipped.  
Now Zain walked on the path that led to the main part of Primera. It was slowly coming to be dawn, and the fog was starting to fade; in about another hour, the sun would rise. No creatures of the Madness attacked him, but he knew they were out there somewhere, and he kept his guard up.  
The Madness was causing widespread fear throughout the world. It was his duty to put an end to it by defeating the new evil.  
"I'm going to find the truth of the Madness," he vowed. "I'm going to fulfill my destiny, and protect this world from evil."  
He also wondered who the other 7 members of the Chosen Eight were. Were they people he knew? Or were they people from all over the world, in places he had only ever read about in school textbooks? Would they have anything in common? How many of them possessed the gift of PSI, as Zain apparently did? What kind of people were they, and would they be able to become good friends?  
There was a lot he didn't know. All he knew, from what Jeff had told him, was that he would start meeting the others soon. He hoped it was soon, because if it was true that the power of Lumina Pillar was not meant for Zain, then he would not be able to get it alone.  
He put all these thoughts from his mind as he walked; there was no sense dwelling on what one had no control over. Soon enough, he would find out. For now, it was enough that it was going to be a bright sunny day.

**_And so begins Zain Maximillian's part in the story…_**


	2. Earthbound 202X Prologue Part 2

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Prologue Part 2**

In the far-off town of Greyhamel, in the country of Falconland… In a regular house with a well-trimmed lawn and a picket fence, in the middle of the suburbs…

It is three days before the fateful events that took place in the first part of the prologue.

Sasha awoke to the sound of her alarm clock, an annoying, blaring sound that made her wish she were still asleep. It was 6:30 AM.  
Feeling too tired to move, she hit the snooze button and went back to sleep.  
Soon enough, it went off again. Sasha knew she should get up, but she could barely move. She hit the snooze button again.  
Shortly after, it began blaring a third time. Becoming irritated, Sasha slammed her hand on the snooze button.  
The alarm clock froze into a block of ice and shattered.  
Sasha's sleepy eyes widened in surprise. "...Oops..."  
She was too tired to do anything about it. Soon, she drifted back into sleep. 

She suddenly heard her mother's voice. "Sasha, it's time to get up already! It's 7:00! If you don't get up, you'll miss breakfast! Didn't your alarm go off?"  
Her mother came into the room, and saw what had happened. She turned to her daughter, annoyed. "You froze another alarm clock! That's the third one this week!"  
Sasha didn't respond, having fallen asleep again.  
Irritated, her mother dragged her out of the bed. "Get UP, Sasha!"  
Sasha sighed, and finally woke up, despite her best efforts. "Okay, Mom, I'm up," she said, still extremely tired.

After getting ready for school, Sasha came downstairs and sat down at the table to have breakfast with her family.  
Her mother placed some sausage and eggs on the table for the family to eat, and then she sat down at the end. Her brother and sister, Shiloh and Shyla, sat next to each other on one side; they were fraternal twins, both 10 years old. Trying to clear the sleep from her eyes, Sasha sat down on the other side.  
Noticing her daughter's fatigue, Sasha's mother got up and brought her a strong espresso. "Here, you've been drinking this for days now, and it looks like today won't be any different."  
"Thank you, Mom," said Sasha gratefully.  
Her mother sighed and sat back down, looking at Sasha with concern. "Sasha, I'm worried about you," she said. "You're more and more tired every day. You've accidentally frozen 3 alarm clocks this week. What's wrong?"  
"I can't sleep, Mom," Sasha replied. "Whenever I try, I have these strange dreams. They keep waking me up, and I've been getting barely any sleep at all."  
She sighed. "I'm so tired, Mom. I get so tired that I lose control of my PSI sometimes." It was true; that was why she kept accidentally freezing the clocks.  
Her mother shook her head sadly. "Well, if this keeps up, we're going to have to find some help for you."  
"I know," Sasha replied. "Maybe that's for the best..."  
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a loud wail from Shyla. "Mom! Shiloh froze my orange juice!" Shiloh snickered.  
Their mother whirled on Shiloh. "Shiloh, you know you're not allowed to use your PSI against other people!" she scolded.  
"But it's fun!" Shiloh protested. He extended his hand at Shyla's food. "PSI Fre--"  
"If you do that again," warned their mother, "you'll be grounded for a week."  
Reluctantly, Shiloh quit. "Awwwwww..."

The family finished breakfast, and then Shiloh and Shyla left to go to elementary school.  
Shortly after, Sasha went out the door to go to high school. Her mother came out behind her and stood in the doorway. "Sasha," she called, "I know you're tired, but please try to do well in school today. And be careful, okay?"  
Sasha could hear her mother's unspoken request: _Don't lose control of your PSI, okay?_ "I'll be careful, Mom," she replied with a smile. "Don't worry."  
Her mother nodded, and Sasha turned and headed off to school.

Sasha was 16 years old. She was attractive, with long brown hair and eyes the color of a clear sky. Around other people, though, she tended to be timid and withdrawn. She didn't have many friends, but the ones she did have were steadfast and truly cared about her.  
She lived in the suburbs of Greyhamel with her family. Her father, Samuel Maybee, was a high-ranking official for a major corporation based in multiple countries. It was strange, because even after 16 years, Sasha still didn't know exactly what he did at his job. Right now, he was working in the company's base of operations in Hawkland. He had been there for almost 3 months now; they were waiting for him to be finished and come home, but he didn't know when that would be.  
Her father's family all possessed PSI; it was something that her mother had had to learn to live with. Sasha had first exhibited PSI abilities when she was a baby; her mother said that when Sasha was upset, the milk in her baby bottle had suddenly frozen solid. It had developed from there, becoming steadily more powerful and focused. Shiloh and Shyla also had the gift, but Shyla's power hadn't properly developed yet. Even her father had PSI, but Sasha rarely ever saw him use it. Her father told them to never use their PSI in public, because it would bring unwanted attention to their household.  
Lately, as she had just told her mother, she had been having strange dreams that kept her awake at night. The dreams were frightening; in them, she was chased by evil creatures that existed only in nightmares. Then, when they finally had her cornered, a dark shadowy figure loomed over her and said, "You are mine, Sasha. It is only a matter of time before you are mine. I will have you for all eternity." She shuddered even to remember it.  
But the dreams weren't all bad. Throughout them, six people tried to help her escape from the things that chased her, but they always failed. She never was able to see their faces, but she knew instinctively that they were friends. And sometimes in the dream, a boy about her age would appear and drive back the evil ones with an incredible power. Then he would turn to her and smile, as if everything was going to be alright.  
Most of the time, her dream would end with the dark one cornering her and claiming her with his voice of pure evil; it kept her from sleeping at night. But once in a while, the dream would end with the boy helping her. He had blond hair, bright green eyes, and he strangely wore a pair of aviator goggles on his head. In the rare times when her dreams ended that way, Sasha was actually able to sleep, if only for a while.  
She knew that if the dreams didn't stop, she was going to need help. But she didn't know who could possibly help her with this.

On the way to school, she met up with her friend Lora. "Good morning, Sasha!" said Lora.  
"Good morning, Lora," Sasha replied, feeling a bit better. She always brightened up around Lora; her friend was the only one outside of Sasha's family that knew about their PSI.  
They walked to school together. "Have you been sleeping any better?" asked Lora. Sasha shook her head. "It's the dreams again?"  
"I froze another alarm clock..." said Sasha.  
"Another one? You must really be losing control."  
"I know," said Sasha sadly.  
"Do you think it'll get worse?"  
"I don't know," Sasha replied. She turned to look at her friend as they walked. "I'm really getting scared, Lora. If this keeps happening, I'm going to need help. But I don't know who can help with something like this."  
"What about your father?" Lora suggested. "Doesn't he have PSI too?"  
Sasha blinked; she had never even considered that. "He's had it all his life, so he might know something," she agreed. "But he's been in Hawkland for three months now, and I don't know when he's coming home."  
"Can't you call him?"  
"Mom and I have tried before, but we can never reach him. He calls us, but it's been more than a week since he called last time."  
Lora smiled, trying to make Sasha feel better. "Well, if it's been that long, then it can't be much longer before he calls again. When he does, you can ask him for help."  
"I hope so," said Sasha.  
Lora decided to change the subject, to take her friend's mind off of it. "What's that bratty brother of yours been up to?"  
Sasha laughed. "He's as mischievous as ever," she replied. "This morning, he froze Shyla's orange juice. He would have frozen her food too, if Mom hadn't stopped him." She smiled. "He can't play tricks on me, because I can retaliate; my power's stronger than his right now. So he picks on Shyla instead. But just wait until her power develops... When it does, Shiloh's going to be a very sorry boy."  
They both laughed. Sasha felt considerably better.

They finally got to school, and separated to go to their respective classes.  
School seemed to drag on for Sasha. Several times, she almost fell asleep in class, but managed to catch herself.  
In her history class, though, her teacher, Mr. Julius, was so boring that she did fall asleep. The next thing she knew, Mr. Julius was standing over her, glaring indignantly. "I suppoze you think eet eez funny to fall asleep in my class," he said in his fake accent. "When you fall asleep, eet showz that you have no respect for me or the material I teach."  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Julius," Sasha apologized. "I just can't sleep at night--"  
"Excuzes will NOT be tolerated!" Mr. Julius yelled, snapping a pencil in half. "If you fall asleep in my class evair again, I'll take the maxeemum deescipleenary action against you!" He stormed back to the front of the room.  
All of the other students laughed at her. Sasha looked down at her desk, embarrassed, and reached out to rearrange her things.  
The desk was cold.  
Alarmed, Sasha caught herself before it froze completely. The desk returned to room temperature. _I'm really losing control!_ she thought, getting scared.  
For the rest of class, Sasha kept rubbing her eyes, fighting to stay awake.

Finally school ended. Sasha sighed as she left the building. _At least I didn't completely lose control of my PSI_, she thought, trying to make the best of it.  
She met up with Lora, and they walked home together.

At supper, her mother said, "I put another alarm clock in your room, Sasha. But it's the last one we have. Please don't break this one."  
"I'll try not to, Mom," Sasha promised. Shiloh and Shyla had already finished eating, and were out playing (at least, if Shiloh freezing Shyla's dolls could be considered "playing").  
Sasha and her mother ate silently for a while. After a moment, Sasha asked, "Mom, is there any way we can reach Dad?"  
"I don't think so," her mother replied. "We tried before, and we couldn't get him. He's very busy."  
Sasha sighed. "I know. I just thought that maybe since he might know something about how to keep better control of my PSI, or even something about the dreams."  
Her mother's jaw dropped. "I never even thought of that," she said. "But we probably can't reach him until he calls us."  
Then she remembered something else. "Also, I don't know why, but we received an airplane ticket in the mail today. It has your name on it, and the flight leaves tomorrow, to go to Troisemburg, Hawkland."  
"Troisemburg?" said Sasha, surprised. "That's where Dad's working--"  
At that moment, the phone rang in the living room. Sasha got up to answer it. "Hello?"  
"Hi, sweetheart," said Samuel Maybee, on the other end.  
"Dad!" Sasha cried happily. In the dining room, her mother started in surprise.  
"I'm sorry I haven't called for a long time," said her father. "Things have been really busy around here. I've barely had time to even breathe."  
"That's okay, Dad," said Sasha. "I'm just glad to hear from you again. When are you coming home?"  
There was a pause on the other end. "I'm afraid I can't come home for at least another month," he finally replied.  
Sasha's heart sank. This was the longest her father had been away from home.  
"Did you get an airplane ticket in the mail?" her father asked.  
"Yes," Sasha replied, confused.  
"Good then," he said. "I sent that. Tomorrow, you have to go to Shean International Airport and take the flight to Troisemburg here in Hawkland. I thought you might like to come and visit me in Hawkland."  
Sasha's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean, I get to go to another country, and visit you...?"  
"That's right," her father answered. "It's your birthday present, since I wasn't there on your birthday two months ago."  
"That's wonderful, Dad!" said Sasha, feeling very happy. "But don't I need a passport?"  
"Normally, yes," her father answered. "However, I pulled a few corporate strings, so you won't need one."  
"What about school?" Sasha asked. "School doesn't end for another month."  
"Same thing," replied Samuel. "A few days ago, the school's money increased by a sizable amount. You'll find that you've finished this year with a really good GPA."  
The ethics of the situation were completely overshadowed by the fact that Sasha was going to see her father again, and she was even going to another country. "What time does the flight leave?"  
"It leaves at 4:30 PM," her father answered. "The ticket should say that, too. Your mom has to drive you to Shean beforehand, to the airport. I'll be waiting for you in Hawkland International Airport, when you get there."  
"Okay," said Sasha. Then she suddenly remembered. "Dad... I've been having these strange dreams lately. I can't sleep at night, and I'm starting to lose control of my PSI."  
"What!?" her father exclaimed. There was a long pause on the other end. Finally, he spoke again. "...I see. The same thing happened to my grandfather, your great-grandfather, a long time ago. Don't worry, I know what to do."  
Sasha's spirits lifted even more. "You do?"  
"Yes," her father replied. "When you get to Troisemburg, I'll help you."  
She felt as if she could cry from sheer happiness. Not only was she going to another country, but her father knew what to do about her dreams and her PSI. "Thank you, Dad," she said gratefully.  
"Okay. Now, I have to talk to your mother, so I can explain all of this to her."  
Sasha called her mother, who entered the room instantly. "Here she is, Dad. I love you."  
"I love you too, sweetheart," said her father. "I'll see you soon."  
Sasha gave the phone to her mother, and walked back into the dining room. Suddenly, Shiloh came into the house, having tired of freezing the stray cat outside. "Who's on the phone, Sasha?"  
"It's Dad," Sasha replied, in high spirits.  
"Daddy!" Forgetting about his latest mischief, Shiloh ran into the living room.  
Shyla came in next, carrying the hapless cat. "Sasha, Shiloh made a cat-sicle in the yard!"  
Sasha sighed. "One of these times he's going to go too far..."  
"Can you fix it?" asked Shyla. "My powers don't work yet..."  
Sasha smiled sadly. "Shyla, our PSI can freeze things, but it can't warm things." She went upstairs into the bathroom, and brought the hair dryer downstairs. She then took the frozen cat from Shyla, took it into the kitchen, and set it in the sink.  
She plugged in the hair dryer and began to thaw out the cat with the hot air. "I'll fix it, Shyla," she said. "Go into the living room; Dad's on the phone."  
"Daddy called? Yay!" Shyla ran off into the living room.

After a while, the cat was finally thawed out. It jumped out of the sink and onto the floor, and started rubbing against her in gratitude. Sasha smiled, and let the cat out the back door.  
Her mother came in. "The twins are talking to your father right now," she said. "I guess I'll have to take you to Shean International Airport tomorrow."  
Sasha nodded. "Dad said he could help me with the dreams."  
"That's great news," said her mother, sounding happier. "You'll be careful in Hawkland, won't you? There's something spreading over there called 'the Madness,' which is causing animals to go crazy."  
"Yes, I'll be careful," Sasha promised.  
Her mother nodded. "You'll be fine over there. You're old enough." She suddenly remembered something else. "Oh, and your father told me to tell you that when you go to sleep, to focus on the good outcome of the dream. I don't know what that means, but he said that it will be a little better if you do that."  
Sasha understood what he meant. _I have to focus on that boy with blond hair_, she thought. _The one who drives back the darkness._

That night, Sasha was able to get a little more sleep than normal. The dream's alternate ending, the one with the blond-haired man helping her, appeared a little bit more often, although it wasn't much.  
The alarm clock woke her in the morning; since she wasn't going to school, she had set it to go off at 11:00 AM. Fortunately, she managed to avoid freezing the clock.  
After she got up, Sasha packed her things into a backpack. She tried to pack everything she would need, because she didn't know how long she would be in Hawkland. After that, she called Lora and told her what was happening; her friend was envious of Sasha's premature end of the school year ("I wish MY Dad was a high-ranking executive of a major international corporation..."), but she wished Sasha luck on her trip.  
Once she was all packed, Sasha's mother drove her to the airport. It took a few hours to get to Shean, so they talked a lot along the way. Sasha's mother told her everything she knew about the Madness that was spreading in Hawkland, and she kept warning Sasha to be careful.

Finally, they reached the airport. Sasha's mother dropped her off at the entrance. "I'd come with you further," her mother said, "but I have to get back home. There's no telling what Shiloh could be doing while I'm gone."  
"Okay, Mom," said Sasha. "I'm going to miss you..."  
"Just call home whenever you like, if you want to talk to me," said her mother. "But don't dwell on home. This is the first time you get to go to another country! You should have fun!"  
"I will, Mom," Sasha promised; it wasn't as if having fun would be hard to do. "And I'll try to call a little more often than Dad does."  
Her mother laughed. "That would be nice."  
They hugged, and then Sasha's mother left to go back to Greyhamel. Sasha waved at the car receding into the distance, and then she turned and entered the airport.

On the airplane, Sasha tried to get some sleep; she was still very tired, and she didn't want to arrive in Troisemburg exhausted. Once again, she tried to focus on the alternate ending of the dream, with the blond boy. She had begun to find that thinking about him even when she was awake calmed her and made her feel better. _I wonder if he's real_, Sasha thought. _Who is he?_

Finally she arrived in Troisemburg, Hawkland, the next day. She still felt extremely tired. But what happened next made her forget about it for a while.  
As Sasha left the plane and entered Hawkland International Airport, she found someone waiting for her. He had the same color hair and eyes as she did, he was clean-shaven, and he wore a black trenchcoat with a high collar. As he saw her, he smiled warmly.  
Sasha was overcome by happiness at seeing him for the first time in months. "Dad!"  
She ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. "Hi, sweetheart," said Samuel Maybee. "How was the flight?"  
"It was okay," Sasha answered.  
"That's good," said her father. "Come on, let's go and get your luggage."  
"But what about the dreams--" Sasha started.  
"We'll get to those," her father promised. "But I can't do what needs to be done about them in public. I'm going to have to use my PSI."  
Sasha blinked. Her father never used his PSI unless it was absolutely necessary, and only when there was no other way.

They went and retrieved her luggage, and then they drove in Samuel's car (which had been given to him by the corporation) back to the hotel he was staying at in Troisemburg. His room was the Presidential Suite, on the top floor. Sasha's father was a high-ranking executive, and the corporation took good care of its executives.  
Once they were in the room, Sasha deposited her things off to the side and sat down on a sofa. Her father sat down on a comfortable armchair opposite her. "Before I do anything," he said, "I have to tell you what the dreams are."  
He took a deep breath. "Sasha, you have inherited a power that only shows up in certain members of our family. The last person who had this power was your great-grandfather, Silas Maybee. He was the first person who named this power. He called it Premonition."  
"Premonition?" Sasha repeated, confused.  
Her father nodded. "The power of Premonition manifests in dreams, as you've experienced," he explained. "The dreams are actually visions of possible futures."  
Sasha's eyes widened in surprise. "My dreams are the future?" She started to feel very frightened. _That shadowy figure that looms over me at the end of the dream... Is that my future?_  
"Your dreams are of one possible future," said her father. "I'm sure that you've also had the dream a few times where it ended differently."  
She calmed down somewhat upon hearing this, and nodded. _The blond boy..._  
"The future is unwritten," said Samuel. "One can't simply predict exactly what is going to happen. But there are a few rare instances where the only possibilities are one way or the other; one of two possibilities. It is these instances that show up in the dreams of Premonition. One example of this is the war against Giygas that took place 30 years ago. There were only two possible outcomes of that war: either Giygas would win, or the four heroes would win. Because the heroes won, the future was set down a certain path. If Giygas had won, this world would be a very different place right now."  
He leaned back in the chair. "So, Sasha," he said, "What have the dreams shown you?"

So Sasha told her father everything that she saw in the dreams, both good and bad.  
After hearing all of it, her father frowned. "I see."  
He thought for a moment, and then spoke. "From what you told me... I think that the world is going to be in danger again soon."  
Sasha gasped in surprise. "You mean like the war against Giygas?"  
Samuel nodded solemnly. "Yes. And no matter what happens in this war, the fact that dark creatures are after you suggests that you are important in some way in this war."  
"I-Important? I'm important to this?"  
"Yes. And the ending you told me about, with the dark figure at the end, suggests that we lose this war, and for whatever reason, he claims you as a prize."  
Upon hearing this, Sasha hid her face in her hands and wanted to cry. "That's my future..."  
"Sasha, look at me," said her father. She did so. "I told you before, sweetheart, that is only one possible future. You told me that there is another ending to the dream."  
Sasha nodded. "The boy with the blond hair and green eyes..."  
Her father smiled slightly. "This young man, whoever he is, is going to be a central part of what happens in this coming war. If he succeeds, then the world will be saved, but if he fails, then the first ending to your dream will become a reality. He is the world's salvation, and yours, too."  
This made her feel better. At least there was a chance that she would be saved. _I have to find this boy_, she thought. _Whoever he is, wherever he is, I have to find him._  
She suddenly realized something. "Dad, how do you know how to interpret these dreams?"  
Her father shrugged. "Intuition?"  
It didn't make sense, but then there were some things in the world that didn't make sense. After all, she had heard a lot of things about the war against Giygas that didn't make sense...  
"So now that I know what the dreams mean," she said, "can you do something about them?" She sighed, fatigued. "I'm so tired, Dad. I'm can't sleep at night, and I'm losing control of my PSI. I've accidentally frozen three alarm clocks over the last week, and in school two days ago, I almost froze my desk."  
Her father nodded. "Your great-grandfather also suffered from these symptoms," he said. "He developed a way to make the dreams stop. He passed this method down to his son, and his son passed it down to me, in case anyone else in our family ever develops Premonition." He paused for a moment. "This method requires the use of PSI," he said.  
Samuel raised his index finger, and to Sasha's surprise the tip of his finger began to glow. He reached out and lifted up Sasha's brown bangs with his other hand. "Now, this might sting a little," he warned her, "but that's normal." He pressed the tip of his finger to Sasha's forehead; it felt strangely warm.  
Her father closed his eyes. "Prescient Pseal."  
The tip of his finger suddenly shone brilliantly, and for an instant, Sasha felt a terrible burning sensation on her forehead. Then it was all over.  
"There," said her father, leaning back in the armchair; he looked as if he had expended a great deal of energy.  
"What did you do?" asked Sasha, confused.  
"The method your great-grandfather developed to make the dreams stop," her father replied. "It's called a pseal. Basically, it seals your power of Premonition. You won't have any more dreams now except for normal dreams, so you'll be able to sleep now."  
At the notion of being able to sleep again, Sasha hugged her father gratefully. "Thank you, Dad."  
Samuel smiled. "You're welcome, sweetheart."  
He got up off of the chair. "I'm going to go to the bar with some of my friends from work," he said. "You stay here and get some rest; you need it."  
"Okay, Dad," Sasha agreed. She suddenly felt very sleepy.

Her father left, and Sasha sat on the sofa for a moment. Suddenly she thought of something.  
She looked at herself in the mirror, and lifted her bangs with her hand. Burned into her forehead was a small letter "p".  
_That must be the pseal_, she guessed. She let her hair fall back down, and her bangs covered the pseal; no one would see it unless they looked for it.  
Feeling more tired than ever, she lay down on the comfortable bed. She was asleep instantly, and for the first time in more than a week, she was not plagued by the dreams. It was wonderful.

The next day, Sasha went with her father to see the place he was working at. She felt much better, now that she had finally gotten a good night's sleep.  
Her father was a high-ranking executive for Orange Enterprises, Inc., which had several bases of operations in different locations over the entire world. Two years ago, her father had gone to work at the main base of operations in Twoson, Eagleland. Now, he worked at the Hawkland base of operations in Troisemburg.  
The Troisemburg base of Orange Enterprises consisted of several office areas and several factory areas; it was very large.  
"Did the pseal work?" Samuel asked her, when no one else was nearby.  
"It worked perfectly," Sasha replied happily. "I haven't slept so well in a long time."  
Her father smiled. "I'm glad."  
A young man about Sasha's age came up to them. He had orange hair, and he wore a pair of hornrim glasses. He was dressed in black clothing, and when he looked at her, Sasha was surprised to see that one of his eyes was dark blue, while the other was bright orange. "Good morning, Mr. Maybee," he said.  
"Good morning, Guy," said Samuel. "How have you been?"  
"Well enough," replied the boy named Guy. He looked at Sasha. "Who have you brought with you today?"  
"This is my daughter Sasha," Samuel answered. "She came to visit me in Hawkland, until I finish my work here."  
Guy nodded, and turned to her. "So this is the famous Sasha," he said. "Your father never stops talking about you, and he says nothing but the best about you." Sasha blushed shyly.  
He proffered his hand. "My name is Guy Orangere. I am the son of Orangeman Orangere, who is the owner of this corporation. Your father is a good friend of mine."  
Sasha shook his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Guy."  
"Likewise." Guy turned to her father. "Well, Mr. Maybee, I have things to do, so I will see you later, probably at the company Scrabble competition later today?"  
"Of course," Sasha's father replied. "Between the two of us and Mark Wyrd, we'll blow the competition away."  
Guy smiled, and then turned to Sasha. "Miss Sasha, it was a pleasure to meet you. Surely I will see you again in the future." He walked away.  
Sasha turned to her father. "He was very polite."  
"Guy is a very nice young man," her father agreed. "His father had no time for him, so he was raised by the best nannies that money can buy. He also received the best education from several different boarding schools, including Snow Wood."  
Sasha looked in the direction that Guy had gone. There was something else about him, but she couldn't place it.  
She turned to her father, and decided to ask something that she had been wondering about for a long time. "Dad," she said, "What exactly do you DO here?"  
Her father frowned. "Well, sweetheart," he started, "my job is to--"  
Suddenly a worker came up to him. "Mr. Maybee, thank goodness!" he exclaimed. "There's a situation in Area F!"  
"Is it dangerous?" asked Samuel.  
"Is it DANGEROUS?" the worker repeated. "There's this weird thing shaped like a star shooting beams at everyone and talking in really cheesy dialogue, and you ask me if it's DANGEROUS?"  
"Cheesy dialogue?" Samuel repeated. "What did it say?"  
"It was demanding that we give it some girl named Sasha, so that it could take her to its master."  
Sasha froze, terrified. The dark one from her dream was after her!  
She felt rather than saw her father stiffen. "That's what it said...?" he asked. There was an edge in his voice that could cut steel.  
The worker nodded. "That's what it said, and that if we didn't give her up, it would blow up this place! But I don't know any girls named Sasha. Do you?"  
Samuel's sky-blue eyes narrowed. "No."  
"Then what are we going to do?"  
"Go back and tell everyone that I will be there momentarily to deal with it," Sasha's father ordered. "Now."  
"Yes, sir!" The worker ran off.  
Sasha's father turned to her. He reached into the pocket of this trenchcoat and pulled out some money. "Here is 100 dollars, Sasha," he said solemnly. "I want you to leave here immediately, and take the bus to the town of Primera; it's the farthest from here I can think of, that you can reach on land."  
"But what about you?" Sasha asked, frightened.  
"I am going to deal with this... thing, whatever it is, that is after you," her father replied.  
"But what should I do in Primera?" Sasha asked. "I have no idea what to do!"  
"Stay in Primera. At night, call my hotel room number. I will tell you when it's safe to come back."  
Sasha had no idea what to do; this was happening too quickly. "But--"  
"Go NOW!" her father ordered.  
The edge in his voice was such that Sasha had no choice but to obey. "I love you, Dad." She turned and left the base as quickly as possible.

After she left the Orange Enterprises base, Sasha went to a bus stop. After a while, the bus came; it was headed for Primera. Sasha got on and paid the fare.  
As the bus drove to Primera, Sasha had no idea what to do. Everything had happened so fast. _Dad... I hope you're okay..._ she prayed.  
She had known that the dark one was eventually going to try to take her, but she had had no idea that it would be so soon. Now she was on the way to another town, and she had no idea what to do.  
Strangely, her thoughts shifted to the boy from her dream, with the blond hair. Her father had said that this boy would be her salvation. Now that the dark one had tried to take her, she HAD to find the boy. _But where could he be?_ she thought. _How will I find him? What if, before I find him, the dark one finds me?_  
She then wondered how the dark one had managed to locate her. _Maybe he somehow located me through my power of Premonition, since I dreamed about him_, she theorized. _If he did, then I'm safe for now, because my Premonition is sealed._ Still, it was an uncertain theory, and she didn't feel much better.  
Sasha had no idea what she was supposed to do, or what was going to happen to her next. She looked out the bus window, and saw that it was a bright sunny day. At least she could take some comfort in that.

Little did she know that last night, destiny had been set in motion, and that she was one of eight people on whom the future of the world rested...

**_And so begins Sasha Maybee's part in the story..._**


	3. Earthbound 202X Prologue Part 3

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Prologue Part 3**

In the mountain town of Troisemburg, in the country of Hawkland… In the Troisemburg branch of Orange Enterprises, Inc…

It is one day before the fateful events that took place in the first part of the prologue.

Very carefully, Guy put the finishing touches on his latest project. Once it was done, he leaned back in his chair with a sigh of satisfaction.  
He looked at what he had made. The gun was small, about the size of a handgun, and most of its outer covering was plastic. It almost looked like a futuristic ray gun from one of those sci-fi shows from a long time ago.  
Guy picked it up and held it in his hand. He had used a discarded glue gun for the outer covering, and he had put various parts inside, some of which he had designed himself. The gun was powered by two AA batteries that Guy had managed to fit into the gun's grip.  
What he had basically made was a powerful beam handgun.  
"I will call you 'The Equalizer,'" Guy decided. He put the gun in his pocket; now all he had to do was find a proper place to test it out... A place away from here. It wasn't likely that Guy would get a chance like that for a while.  
He couldn't risk testing it in the vicinity of the Orange Enterprises base, because someone might tell his father. Samuel Maybee wouldn't, but there were many others that might, even if it was just in the hope that Guy's father would give them a better position within the corporation.  
Guy got up from the desk and went for a walk.

Guy Orangere was the son of the owner of Orange Enterprises, Inc. As such, he had more money than he knew what to do with.  
He had wavy orange hair that anyone who knew him recognized immediately, because it was such an unusual color. He had fair skin because he didn't go outside very often; he was a man of science, after all. The most surprising thing about his appearance was his eyes; the left one was dark blue, while the right eye was bright orange (a most unusual color for human beings). Over his eyes, he wore a pair of glasses; he couldn't see well at all without them. He liked to dress in black; it was his favorite color.  
Guy's father was Orangeman Orangere. 30 years ago, this man had been a lowly inventor named Orange Kid, living in the town of Twoson, Eagleland. He was quite popular there, especially with the girls. Eventually, Guy's father had discovered how to change a boiled egg back into a raw egg, and he became rich virtually overnight. With all the money he earned from his successful invention, he started a company named Orange Enterprises, Inc.; as the years went by, the company grew to be a major international corporation.  
At some point during that time, Orange Kid changed his name to Orangeman, and also adopted the surname Orangere. When Guy had been very young, he had asked his father why he had changed his name, and his father had replied, "Because my name was Orange Kid! I wasn't a kid anymore!" For some reason, Guy's father didn't like to talk about his old name, so Guy had learned to avoid that topic, on the few occasions when he actually got to see his father.  
Now, in the present day of 202X, one of Orange Enterprises' most popular products was still the BREC (Boiled-to-Raw Egg-Changer) that Guy's father had invented 30 years ago. Guy had never been able to understand the point of such a machine. _If someone wanted a raw egg instead of a boiled egg, wouldn't they just not boil the egg in the first place?_ he wondered. But people still bought the BREC, even 30 years later. Another popular product was the Suporma, which, as far as Guy knew, did absolutely nothing useful. Guy preferred to work on his hobby, building weapons, but his father had forbidden him to do so (because Guy's liking for "building useless things" was not being constructive with his time, his father had said). That was why Guy had to work on his weapons in private.  
The last school that Guy had been sent to was Snow Wood, which he had been taken out of 2 years ago. Ever since then, his father had sent him on trips to the various headquarters of Orange Enterprises, all around the world. It was "to instruct him in the workings of the corporation," Guy's father had said. Guy had not been to his home town of Twoson ever since then; he had not seen his father since then, either.  
Not that Guy minded not seeing his father. Orangeman Orangere was far too preoccupied with his corporation business and his money. Guy suspected that part of the reason he had been sent on all those trips was simply to keep him out of his father's hair. His father saw him not as his son, but merely as his heir, who would someday inherit the family fortune.  
Guy didn't even want it. What he wanted was a family, a real family like everyone else had. Not a corporate multi-billionaire, but a real father who actually cared.  
In Samuel Maybee, Guy had found that. Samuel had come to work at the Troisemburg branch of the corporation a few months ago, not long after Guy had been sent there. After meeting him, the two of them had become instant friends. Samuel was from the country of Falconland. He had a wife and three children who lived in his home town of Greyhamel, and he talked about them all the time, particularly his oldest daughter Sasha.  
Samuel was almost a surrogate father to Guy. He did all kinds of things for Guy that a real father would do, but Guy's father had never done. And between the two of them, along with another friendly worker named Mark Wyrd, they often decimated the other team at the company Scrabble competition, which took place once a week. The only thing about Samuel was that Guy had never figured out exactly what his job was at Orange Enterprises; he knew that Samuel was one of the highest-ranking executives, but he didn't know anything else. No one else knew, either.

As he walked throughout the complex, Guy encountered Samuel Maybee. "Good morning to you, Mr. Maybee," he said, glad to see him.  
Samuel smiled. "Good morning, Guy. Sorry, but I can't talk to you now. I have to go somewhere today."  
"Oh?" said Guy. "Where are you going?" Guy's manner of speaking came from all of his top-notch schooling; at his preschool he had been forced to speak proper English all the time. He had found that he could not change it, and so he had accepted it as part of his identity.  
"I have to pick up my daughter at the airport," Samuel replied. "She's coming to visit me."  
"Is it Sasha?" Guy asked; of his family members, Sasha was the one that Samuel talked about the most.  
Samuel nodded. "It's kind of a belated birthday present for her. Her birthday was two months ago, and I wasn't there."  
He straightened out his black trenchcoat. "Anyway, I have to go and meet her there. I'll see you later, Guy."  
"Goodbye, Mr. Maybee," Guy replied. "I will see you later. Have a safe trip to the airport." Samuel nodded and walked away.

As Guy continued his walk, starting to feel bored, his mind wandered. He suddenly found himself thinking of his time at Snow Wood Boarding School, in Winters.  
That time had been a good one for him. He had actually had some friends there, which was a novelty; he had never had friends at any of his other schools.  
One of his best friends there had been Kyla Quinn, a rather quiet, soft-spoken girl with bright red hair and leaf-green eyes. Kyla had been smarter than Guy; she had probably been the smartest student at Snow Wood. Where Guy was good with building weapons, Kyla could build anything. The two of them had been best friends, and they had often studied together for exams. Together they had accomplished almost anything.  
Guy sighed, feeling down. He missed Kyla. He missed all of the other friends he'd had at Snow Wood. Those had been good times. He had written letters to Kyla and to his other friends, but he had never received any replies. Guy knew that they would never ignore his mail, so either his father was involved somehow, or the postal service in Winters was extremely poor; Guy suspected that it was the former.  
_One day,_ he promised to himself, _I'm going to go back there and visit them. I don't know when or how, but I will. I don't care what my father says about it._

After a while, Guy eventually ended up back at his room. He frowned in displeasure as he realized that he had gotten absolutely nothing done that day, other than finishing one of his weapon projects. _I'm not being very productive today,_ he thought.  
Suddenly he heard a voice calling to him. "Hey, Guy!"  
Guy turned to face him. The man was balding and he had a beer belly, and he wore a work uniform. It was none other than Mark Wyrd, another of Guy's acquaintances. He wasn't as friendly as Samuel Maybee, but he was a nice person nonetheless. At the weekly company Scrabble competition, Mark joined Guy and Samuel's team, and they would crush the opposing team. Mark was his friend, but Guy wasn't too sure he could trust him.  
"Hello, Mr. Wyrd," Guy answered. "How are you today?"  
"I can't complain," Mark answered. "I was looking for you and Mr. Maybee. We have to come up with a strategy for the Scrabble competition tomorrow."  
Guy stared at him in puzzlement. "Mr. Wyrd, we do not 'come up with strategies' beforehand in Scrabble. The letters we receive are purely random. We cannot make a strategy until we get the letters."  
Mark scratched his head. "Hmmm... Yeah, you're right, Guy. I should have thought of that."  
Guy mentally rolled his eyes. Mark was also a football fan, and he kept trying to implement his football lore into places where it didn't belong. Scrabble was one of those places.  
Mark shrugged. "Well, still, have you seen Mr. Maybee? Work's done for today, and me and some other guys wanted him to come to the bar with us."  
"I am afraid that you will have to go without him," Guy replied. "He has gone to the airport today, to meet his daughter."  
"Crap," said Mark. "I was hoping he'd come with us, so that maybe we'd finally find out what his job is."  
"No such luck, I am afraid," Guy replied with a laugh. Samuel Maybee's job was an enigma to all; however, people went to him whenever there was a problem, and he would fix it.  
With a sigh, Mark shrugged and turned to go. "Well, see you tomorrow, Guy. Oh, I almost forgot."  
He turned back to Guy and dug around in his pocket, coming up with a small device. "I got that part you wanted."  
Guy smiled; he had been wanting this part for a while. "Thank you, Mr. Wyrd," he said, taking the part from Mark.  
"Why do you need it, anyway?" Mark asked, curious.  
"It is for an experiment of mine," Guy answered. It was an ambiguous truth; the part was for one of the weapons Guy was developing, which WAS an "experiment" of his...  
"Oh," said Mark. "Well, just be careful, whatever it is. We don't want the complex to be blown up, after all."  
"Of course not," Guy agreed. "I will see you tomorrow, Mr. Wyrd."  
"Yeah, see you tomorrow," said Mark. He turned and walked away.  
After he was gone, Guy went into his room. Sitting down at the desk, he pulled out one of his weapon projects. It was a large bazooka-like gun that Guy had made almost entirely out of used parts from the various machines in the complex. With a smile of triumph, he fitted the part that he had just acquired into its place inside the gun's outer covering. Now he only had to get three more parts before this gun would be completed.  
Sighing in satisfaction, Guy put the gun away for now. He hadn't named it yet; he only named his weapons after he finished building them.  
He picked up another one to work on, but he suddenly realized how tired he was, even though it wasn't that late yet. Guy put the gun down and rubbed his eyes. _If I can't stay awake, I'd better not work anymore,_ he thought. _I'll make a mistake if I do._ Guy took off his glasses and set them on the desk, and then got into his bed. Before he knew it he was asleep.

The next day, Guy woke up feeling more refreshed. _I must have needed more sleep,_ he thought.  
He got out of bed and tinkered with his weapons for a few hours. During that time, Guy discovered that he would have to ask Mark Wyrd for some more parts.  
Finally he decided to go and see if Samuel Maybee was around, if he had come to work today. Guy got up from his desk and left the room.

After searching for a while, Guy found him. Samuel was walking through the complex, talking to a young girl about Guy's age. _That must be Samuel's daughter,_ Guy thought, noticing that both of them had the same brown hair and sky-blue eyes. _It's easy to see the family resemblance._  
He walked up to them. "Good morning, Mr. Maybee," he said. Both Samuel and the girl turned to look at him. The girl looked somewhat surprised. _She's probably surprised at my eyes,_ Guy guessed.  
"Good morning, Guy," Samuel replied. "How have you been?"  
"Well enough," Guy answered. He looked at the girl. "Who have you brought with you today?" he asked, although he probably already knew the answer.  
"This is my daughter Sasha," said Samuel, introducing her. "She came to visit me in Hawkland, until I finish my work here."  
Guy nodded and turned to her. He was glad to finally meet Samuel Maybee's daughter; from what her father had said about her, she sounded like a nice person. "So this is the famous Sasha," he said amiably. "Your father never stops talking about you, and he says nothing but the best about you."  
Sasha blushed shyly, not speaking. Guy could identify with that; he was rather shy himself around people his own age, since living in an corporate complex didn't give him many chances to make friends. But then, he had been shy all his life, even during his time in Snow Wood.  
He proffered his hand to her. ""My name is Guy Orangere. I am the son of Orangeman Orangere, who is the owner of this corporation. Your father is a good friend of mine."  
Sasha smiled and shook his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Guy," she replied in a soft, melodic voice.  
"Likewise," Guy replied. Samuel's daughter was just as friendly as Samuel himself was.  
Then he suddenly remembered that he had to ask Mark Wyrd to find those parts for his weapons. At the same time, he also remembered that the company Scrabble competition was later today. He had things that he needed to do.  
He turned to Samuel. "Well, Mr. Maybee, I have things to do, so I will see you later, probably at the company Scrabble competition later today?"  
"Of course," Samuel replied. "Between the two of us and Mark Wyrd, we'll blow the competition away." Guy smiled; it looked as if it would be another typical week in that respect.  
He turned to Sasha. "Miss Sasha, it was a pleasure to meet you," he said truthfully. "Surely I will see you again in the future."  
Sasha smiled at him in response. Guy returned the smile and took his leave of them.  
As he walked onward, Guy smiled. Samuel's daughter had been very friendly; he hoped he saw her again.

A few minutes after he left Samuel, Guy still hadn't found Mark Wyrd yet. _I wonder where he is today?_ he thought.  
Suddenly a frenzied worker ran through the hall from the direction Guy had come from, shouting, "Area F is under attack! Area F is under attack!"  
The effect was chaotic. Some of the workers ran for their lives. Others flexed their muscles and went to deal with the threat. Others screamed like sissies and fainted.  
Guy stood in disbelief. Who would attack a corporate complex? Especially one owned by Orange Enterprises? Orange Enterprises didn't even have any rival corporations; Guy's father had bought the rivals out many years ago.  
He looked back down the hall, where the panicked worker had come from. _In any case,_ he thought, _standing in disbelief isn't going to do anything about the situation. I have weapons; I can help with this._  
With that mindset, he turned and ran back where he had come from.

As he ran through the halls and rooms, passing crazed and frightened workers,, Guy encountered Samuel, who was running in the same direction. "Mr. Maybee!" he called. "Are you going to Area F?"  
Samuel turned to him. "Yes," he replied; there was an edge to his voice that hadn't been there when Guy had talked to him earlier.  
Guy nodded. "Where is your daughter?" he asked. "Is she safe?"  
"She's safe, for now," Samuel answered, the edge in his voice growing sharper. "Guy, you should go back to your room until this incident is over."  
"I am going to help you," Guy said.  
Samuel shook his head. "This situation is dangerous. If something happens to you, your father will kill me."  
"I will not go back," Guy said with finality. "I am going to help you. You can either let me come along, or I will follow you. Either way, I will not go back."  
Samuel sighed. "All right," he said. "You can back me up. But if the situation gets really bad, then stay out of the way, okay?"  
"That I will agree to," Guy agreed. He wondered exactly what Samuel had in mind for the situation.

They reached Area F, one of the industrial areas. And Guy saw what was causing the chaos. The few workers that were left there were fleeing the area, running for their lives; no one had the courage to stand up to the intruder.  
It was a sleek robot-like creature shaped somewhat like a star, with a bold red X on its chest. It saw them coming and made an eerie mechanical laughing sound. "Greetings, foolish humans," it said. "I am Starman Junior X, Number 1462. I have been sent by my master to claim someone."  
"Who?" Guy asked. Samuel glared at the enemy.  
"I have been sent to claim a girl named Sasha," the Starman Junior X answered. Guy started in surprise, and Samuel's eyes narrowed. "My master has claimed her as his own. It is my duty to take her, and I will destroy this place and everyone in it until you give her to me."  
"What makes you think she's here?" Samuel demanded angrily.  
The Starman Junior X laughed again. "Foolish human, you cannot comprehend the power of my master," it said. Then, for no apparent reason, it explained. "The girl possesses a power that enables her to see certain future events."  
Guy's eyes widened in surprise. He had no idea such a thing existed. _Sasha can see the future?_  
"She has seen my master in her dreams," the Starman Junior X continued. "Naturally, this alerted him to her existence. He is intrigued by her, and has claimed her as a trophy of his upcoming conquest. He knows where she is because of her power, and so I have been sent here."  
It raised an arm, which began to glow ominously. "Now give me this Sasha, or I will send you on the way to destruction along with this pathetic, ugly place!"  
Guy winced. _What cheesy dialogue,_ he thought.  
Samuel actually smiled through his anger. "She's not here," he said. "I sent her away."  
"Impossible," the Starman Junior X retorted. "My master would have seen such a thing."  
Samuel laughed. "You're out of luck... Whatever you are. I placed a pseal on her Premonition. You won't be able to track her anymore."  
"You WHAT?" shouted the Starman Junior X. "How dare you do that! For interfering with the master, the penalty is death!"  
Guy had had enough of this. He had only met Sasha once, but she had been a very nice person. Guy was not going to let this strange robot-thing hurt her. He pulled the Equalizer gun out of his pocket; it looked like he would get to test it after all.  
He pointed the gun at the Starman Junior X and pulled the trigger. A powerful beam burst from the gun and hit the Starman Junior X in the chest; it was knocked backwards by the force of the blow.  
When it got up again, Guy saw that his gun had made a sizable dent in its chest; its red X was now distorted. "Your primitive weapon must be quite potent if it affected me like this," said the Starman Junior X. "But you will pay for your insolence! PSI Fire Omega!"  
Suddenly a huge firestorm appeared, heading straight for Guy. In desperation, Guy threw himself to the side. The main force of the attack missed him, but the edge of the fire caught him.  
Guy hit the floor; his clothes were on fire. He rolled around, trying to put the fire out, and somehow managed to succeed. He staggered to his feet through the pain; the fire had burned him.  
Samuel Maybee acted next. "PSI Shield Omega!"  
Suddenly Guy felt something envelop him; it felt warm and protective. _What's going on?_ he wondered; he didn't understand what was happening.  
Surprised, the Starman Junior X turned to Samuel. "You can use PSI?" it stated in disbelief. "You must be killed, then! My master will not allow such people to live!"  
Rather than using PSI, it raised its arm and fired a beam. Caught off guard, Samuel was hit in the shoulder. "Aaagh!"  
The Starman Junior X raised its other arm. Its arms started glowing, preparing to fire more beams. "Tell me where the girl is," it demanded, "and I will make your death quick."  
Samuel let go of his shoulder and stretched his hand at the enemy. "I will NEVER let you or your 'master' have my daughter! PSI Freeze Omega!"  
Guy stared in disbelief as a colossal blast of ice coalesced around the Starman Junior X. "Impossible--" it started.  
Samuel pointed at the frozen Starman Junior X. "Guy," he said, breathing heavily, "shoot it now, before it recovers."  
Guy didn't know how Samuel had been able to freeze the enemy like that, but he understood the emergency and obeyed. Raising his gun, he aimed at the frozen Starman Junior X and fired.  
The Starman Junior X shattered into hundreds of pieces.  
Guy looked over at Samuel. "We did it, Mr. Maybee," he said.  
Samuel nodded, wincing from his shoulder wound. "We did, Guy," he agreed. "But only for a while. I'm sure that this isn't the last one that will be trying to find Sasha."  
"But why are they after your daughter, Mr. Maybee?" asked Guy, confused. "What could they possibly want with her?"  
"I don't know, Guy," said Samuel. "All I know is that they are after her, and sooner or later they will find her."  
Then he looked at Guy. "Guy, can I trust you to do something for me?"  
"Of course, Mr. Maybee," Guy replied without hesitation. "What do you want me to do?"  
"When I heard that the intruder was after Sasha, I sent her as far away from here as I could think of, so that she would be safe. Guy, I want you to go to Primera, where I sent her, and protect her from anything else that comes after her."  
Guy's eyes widened. "You mean... You want me to leave the complex?"  
Samuel nodded. "I have to stay here, in case that thing's master decides to send others to this place," he explained. "But this incident has convinced me that Sasha is in danger. I'll cover for you, of course, so your father won't get suspicious of your absence." His gaze became pleading. "Please, Guy; I can't trust anyone else with this."  
Guy nodded back, touched that Samuel trusted him so much. "I will do it, Mr. Maybee," he promised. "You can count on me."  
"Thank you, Guy," said Samuel gratefully. "Like I said, she went to Primera. Please follow her and stay with her when you find her."  
"I will," Guy assured him.

He went back to his room and gathered his things. He took apart all of his half-finished guns and stuffed the parts into an old backpack he had used from school. _Maybe I'll be able to finish them on this trip,_ he hoped.  
Guy stuffed a few more things into his bag, and then he was ready. "It is time to go," he said to himself. He put the Equalizer gun back into his pocket. 

No one asked Guy anything as he left; everything was still too disorganized from the attack. So Guy made it out of the complex unhindered.  
As he walked into Troisemburg to get to the bus stop, Guy marveled at the town and everything around him. He hadn't left the complex for quite some time, and getting out was an unusual experience for him. But then, considering the enemy that he had just fought, unusual experiences were about to become commonplace.  
Something else gnawed at him as he walked: Why was he doing this? He didn't even know Sasha. He had only met her once. She had seemed like a very nice person, but still, considering what that Starman Junior X had said about her having some kind of power, Guy didn't know much about her at all. Why was he rushing off to protect someone he barely knew? He was doing it for her father, who was his friend, but still...  
Then he remembered something from his schooling, during a history class. The teacher had started talking about the war against Giygas that took place 30 years ago.  
Back then, the hero Ness had arrived in Guy's home town of Twoson, when he was suddenly contacted by a psychic plea for help. It had been a girl that Ness had never even met before, named Paula, who had been kidnapped by the old Happy-Happyist cult; she called to Ness with her telepathic powers and begged for his help. Most people would have ignored such a thing, but not Ness; he rushed off to the Happy-Happy village and brought down the cult, and freed her. Then there was the time where Ness and Paula were trapped by the zombies in Threed, and Paula had called to another person named Jeff Andonuts, far off in Winters, in the Snow Wood Boarding School that Guy had gone to at one time. Jeff had never met either of them before, but he left Snow Wood and traveled many miles to come to their aid.  
After the war was over, a reporter had asked Ness why he had gone to help someone he didn't even know. Ness had answered, "It didn't matter that I didn't know her. When someone is in danger, it doesn't matter if you don't know them or not. What matters is that they need your help. When someone needs your help, you have to do everything in your power to help them, knowing in your heart that it's right."  
Guy realized the wisdom in those words. _I may not know Sasha,_ he thought, _but she needs my help. That's all that matters. I know in my heart that this is the right thing to do._  
With new resolve, he reached the bus stop and waited for the bus. It came, and Guy was soon on the way to Primera. He looked out the bus window; it was a bright sunny day outside.

Little did Guy know that although he was going to Sasha's aid, he was also going towards destiny...

**_And so begins Guy Orangere's part in the story..._**


	4. Earthbound 202X Prologue Part 4

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Prologue Part 4**

In the popular resort town of Summers, in a well-liked tavern near the beach...

It is the morning after the fateful events that took place in the first part of the prologue.

From where he idly stood in the corner, Deckard Petersen kept his eye on the Tough Guy at the bar, because he had a feeling that a scene was about to occur.  
The Tough Guy had clearly had too much to drink. His speech was slurred, he was spilling his drinks everywhere with his wild gestures, and he was attempting to hit on the serving girl at the bar. Although she kept refusing, the Tough Guy was too intoxicated to take no for an answer.  
Deckard sighed in disgust. It sickened him that so many people in the world had no concept of self-control. It was partly the serving girl's fault, too; she should have known enough to refuse to give the Tough Guy any more drinks before he was too drunk.  
After a while, the Tough Guy started to get mad at the girl for rejecting his advances, and he angrily slammed his meaty fist on the bar. She backed away from him, becoming afraid, as he looked as if he were going to jump over the bar after her.  
Deckard shook his head; the situation had gone far enough. He went over and stood next to the Tough Guy at the bar. The serving girl sighed in relief as he approached.  
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises," he stated. Deckard always made this request at the beginning; he preferred to avoid bad situations.  
The Tough Guy turned to him angrily. "Can't you see I'm busy?" he demanded. "Who the heck are you, anyway?"  
Deckard folded his arms. "I'm the bouncer."  
This caused the Tough Guy to erupt into laughter. "YOU? The bouncer? Don't make me laugh! What bar owner in his right mind would make a wimpy kid like you a bouncer, anyway?"  
Deckard ignored the insults. "I'm going to give you one last chance to leave voluntarily," he said. "If you refuse, I will remove you by force."  
The Tough Guy waved him off. "Beat it, kid, before I break your--"  
In a single lightning-quick movement, Deckard flicked his wrist, which suddenly held his weapon, the Shining Wind Sword. About a second later, the front of the Tough Guy's Hawaiian shirt split in half and fell open. The Tough Guy looked at his ruined shirt in disbelief, and then looked at Deckard in a new light.  
"If you refuse to leave again," Deckard said calmly, bringing up the Shining Wind Sword, "you will lose your pants next. And I'm sure that you've already had enough embarrassment at the hands of a 'kid.'"  
Even drunk, the Tough Guy understood the danger of provoking Deckard again. He silently turned and left the bar.  
"I thought so," Deckard muttered, putting the Shining Wind Sword away.  
The serving girl smiled gratefully at Deckard. "Thanks, Deckard," she said. "I was afraid he was going to come over the bar after me."  
Deckard looked at her, and his eyes narrowed. "That was partly your own fault, Lexa," he reprimanded her. "You should have known better than to give him more drinks when he's clearly had enough."  
Lexa hung her head. "I know..."  
Deckard's frown became a small smile. "But you're still new here," he continued. "And these guys can be pretty demanding when it comes to drinks."  
She looked up, and returned his smile. "Thanks, Deckard."

Deckard spent the rest of his shift talking to Lexa while watching out for any other disturbances. After the episode with the Tough Guy, however, the other patrons had the sense not to get out of hand.  
Finally it was 5:00 AM, and his shift was over. "Well, I'm done for tonight, so I'm going home to get a nap," he said to Lexa. Straightening his jacket, he turned to leave and tell the owner that he was going home.  
"Deckard, wait!" called Lexa.  
He turned back to her. "What is it?"  
"Well..." She paused for a moment. "I get off in two hours. Do you want to walk me home?"  
Deckard raised an eyebrow. "Walk you home?"  
She nodded. "Well, we're friends, right?"  
He smiled. "In two hours, I'll come back and walk you home. Okay?"  
Lexa smiled back. "Okay. See you later, Deckard."  
Deckard nodded, and walked off. He went to tell the owner he was finished, and then he left the bar.

Deckard Petersen was 18 years old. He had disorderly black hair, which he never even attempted to do anything with. His sharp, dark eyes suggested a calmness and an innate wisdom not commonly found in people. He usually dressed in dark, loose clothing with a navy blue jacket. He carried himself with an air of calmness and confidence.  
He didn't even know what town he had originally come from; his parents had died when he was very young. Although the government had placed him in a foster home, his foster family was abusive, and he ran away. By stowing away on ships and airplanes, Deckard traveled to many other countries.  
Long ago, Deckard had realized that his life had no meaning. He had no family, no one who cared if he lived or died. So he had made an oath to himself: he would give meaning to his life himself. To do this, he would constantly work at improving himself, in body, mind, and soul. He began to work out and train his body; in doing so, he inevitably learned the arts of fighting. He meditated daily and worked on developing his PSI gift, which he had discovered when he was very young. He always trained to become better than he was, and he never gave up. During his stays in other countries such as Dalaam, Deckard had learned the indigenous fighting styles and methods of meditation, and he applied them all to his training.  
Four years ago, he had trained in Dalaam under a mentor who had taken him in. When the time had come for him to leave, his mentor gave him the Shining Wind Sword, a sacred talisman that had once been wielded by a Dalaamese hero who had lived many centuries ago. "It belongs with you now," his mentor had said. "You possess the same qualities and potential as the hero of yore. I know that you will use it for good."  
The sword was Deckard's most prized possession. He had trained long and hard to learn how to wield it, and his skill with it had greatly increased. He also was able to easily conceal it within his clothing, to keep people from noticing it.  
Two months ago, Deckard had come to Summers. He had found that he liked it here; for the first time ever, he felt in his heart that he was home. Because he was so comfortable here, he had decided to stay for a long time, if not permanently. The owner of a local bar called the Anti-Stoic Club had seen Deckard's fighting ability, and had offered him a job as a bouncer. Deckard had accepted the job so that he would earn some money; the job paid well, because he was very good at it, and the owner liked him.

Deckard crossed the road and went down to the beach. Since it was 5 in the morning, the beach was all but deserted; there was an Overzealous Cop in the distance, but he kept his distance from Deckard; Deckard had shown them a few weeks ago that attacking him for no reason was a very bad mistake.  
He calmly walked down to the ocean's edge, and gazed out to the horizon. He liked to do this every morning, because it was very calming. Since there was no one there yet, it was quiet and peaceful.  
Normally, the next thing he would do would be to go back to his apartment and take a nap for a few hours. But he had told Lexa that he would walk her home, and so sleep would have to wait.  
With a swift calm motion, Deckard unsheathed the Shining Wind Sword and assumed his fighting stance. He then began to train.

2 hours passed before he knew it, and it was soon 7:00 AM. The first few people were beginning to come down to the beach, and they stared in wide-eyed interest at the young man practicing his movements and swinging a beautiful sword.  
Deckard frowned; he didn't like people watching him train, the way they stared at him as if he were crazy. He stopped and swiftly put the Shining Wind Sword away, and left the beach, going back to the Anti-Stoic Club.

He found Lexa telling the bar owner that she was done for the night. After she finished, she saw him and came over. "Ready to go?" he asked her.  
She nodded, brushing back a few blond tresses.  
They left the bar and headed in the direction of her apartment. "Thanks for waiting and walking me home, Deckard," she said gratefully.  
Deckard shrugged. "It's fine."  
She laughed. "You know, it's kind of funny," she said. "I've been working at the Anti-Stoic Club since last week, and I've seen you there every night I've worked. And until last night, I don't think I ever really noticed you before."  
He shrugged again. "Believe me, you're not the first, nor will you be the last."  
Lexa looked over at him as they walked. "Does it ever hurt?"  
Confused, Deckard looked back at her. "Does what hurt?"  
"People not noticing you."  
Deckard shook his head. "Not really," he said. "I don't need anyone else. All I need is already here, within me."  
"Well..." Lexa reached out and took his hand in her own. "From now on, I'll always notice you."  
Deckard looked down, embarrassed; he hadn't expected this. "Well... Thanks," he finally said.  
She smiled at him, and he slowly smiled back.  
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Deckard saw movement. Immediately, some sixth sense warned him that something was wrong. He looked over to see what it was.  
A nearby road sign was moving toward them. Deckard's jaw dropped. _What the...?_  
Lexa was puzzled by his surprise. "What's wrong, Deckard?"  
"Over there," he replied, pointing.  
She looked over and gasped. "Why is that sign moving? HOW is it moving?"  
"I don't know," he said, "but I don't think it's friendly. Get behind me."  
She did so, and Deckard unsheathed the Shining Wind Sword. When the Crazed Sign was close enough, Deckard slashed in a smooth, swift motion.  
The sign fell into pieces, and stopped moving. "Well, that takes care of that," Deckard said.  
He was about to put the sword away when Lexa screamed behind him. "Deckard, there's more of them!" she cried.  
He whirled around; three more Crazed Signs were approaching them, and other ones were going after the other people on the street. Most of the people saw the signs and ran for their lives. A few people stopped and stared at the signs, wondering how ordinary road signs could possibly be moving; they were quickly beaten down by the signs.  
Deckard analyzed his enemies as they approached. He could defeat them with his sword, but he had a better plan.  
He placed two fingers to his forehead and concentrated. "PSI Thunder Beta!"  
Two thunderbolts struck down from the heavens, smiting two of the Crazed Signs; they were electrocuted and stopped moving.  
Lexa looked at Deckard in awe. "How did you do that?" she asked.  
"It's PSI," Deckard replied, moving away from her to calmly dispatch the third sign with his sword. "I attacked them with my mental energy."  
Lexa didn't have time to ask him anything else, because a taxi suddenly drove up the road and headed straight for her. "Deckard, help!"  
He turned around and saw the oncoming taxi; it had no driver. _Shoot,_ he thought. _It's moving too fast; I can't make it to her in time, and I can't attack with PSI because she's in the way._ He placed two fingers to his forehead again and concentrated. "Shield Beta!"  
She started in surprise as the power shield enveloped her body. An instant later, the taxi crashed into her.  
Because of the power shield, Lexa was only hurt a little; she was knocked down, and she hit the ground hard. The rest of the Mad Taxi's attack was reflected back onto it, damaging it significantly. It only had a moment to collect itself before Deckard finished it off with a slash of his sword.  
He went back to Lexa. "Are you okay?" he asked, helping her up.  
"I... I think so," she said. "It hurt, but I don't understand why that didn't kill me."  
"I protected you with my PSI," Deckard explained. "You're still injured, though; I'll help." He concentrated again. "Lifeup Alpha!"  
Almost instantly, Lexa's wounds were gone. She smiled at him. "Your power is really useful," she said, impressed.  
There wasn't any more time to talk, because more Mad Taxis were heading right for them. Deckard faced them and concentrated. "PSI Fire Alpha!"  
The fire attack hit the taxis and ignited their fuel tanks, causing them to explode.  
Deckard looked around for any more enemies, but there were no more; the signs and taxis that hadn't attacked them had gone off into other parts of town. Deckard's eyes widened as he realized that some of the people who had been attacked by the cars and signs were no longer there; it was as if they had disappeared.  
"Are we safe now?" Lexa asked him.  
He turned to face her. "I think so," he answered.  
Suddenly a strange new being phased into view in front of them. The newcomer was composed mostly of tentacles, and it had two large eyestalks on what could be considered its head. "You must be rather strong, if you can defeat my inanimate minions with such ease," it said.  
"Who are you?" Deckard demanded. "Why are you doing this?"  
"I am an Abductor Mook," replied the alien creature. "The new master's conquest of this pathetic world is commencing. Because of this, I have been sent here to gather good specimens of you ugly Earth people, for the new master's designs. I was sent here because this area has one of the most diverse Earthling populations on this pitiful planet."  
Lexa stepped away from it, and Deckard raised his fist. "What do you mean?"  
The Abductor Mook laughed, or at least made a strange noise that sounded sort of like laughter. "You are a worthy human specimen," it said. "I will collect you for the new master."  
In response, Deckard raised his sword menacingly. "You'll do no such thing," he said through gritted teeth.  
The alien made the weird laughing noise again. "You may have defeated my inanimate minions, but I assure you that I am much stronger than they are," it promised.  
Deckard turned to Lexa. "Lexa, stay out of the way," he said. "This is going to be dangerous." She nodded and moved out of the way. Deckard then focused his attention on the enemy in front of him. "Whatever your plans are," he said angrily, "I won't let you collect people like that! It's inhuman!" He formed his stance, ready to fight this creep.  
"Inhuman?" replied the Abductor Mook. "Do I look human to you, Earthling?"  
Deckard answered by quickly dashing forward and slicing at the Abductor Mook with his sword. However, he hit only empty air. Deckard's jaw dropped. _How did it...?_  
"You are fast for an ugly Earthling, but not fast enough," the Abductor Mook taunted, now behind Deckard. "PSI Freeze Beta!"  
The air around Deckard froze as he tried to dodge it. He managed to escape, but the ice attack caught his sword arm, freezing it solid.  
The Abductor Mook laughed. "I am impressed that you managed to mostly dodge that," it said, "but it looks like you won't be able to move that arm for a while."  
Deckard looked at his frozen arm (with the sword frozen to it), frustrated at his failure to escape the attack. _I should have been faster than that,_ he thought. _I should have seen the attack coming and evaded it easily._  
He faced the Abductor Mook again, ignoring his arm. Placing two fingers to his forehead with his good arm, he concentrated. _What kind of PSI should I use?_ he wondered. _I should probably use fire, but fire isn't focused; I could inadvertently hit Lexa. And I don't know how to use that ice attack, so I'll have to go with lightning._ "PSI Thunder Beta!"  
Two bolts of lightning struck down at the Mook... And hit the spot where it had been an instant ago. "It can't be!" Deckard cried in surprise.  
The Abductor Mook was now behind him again. "I think that perhaps I should tell you this, inferior Earthling. I am not a normal Mook. Abductor Mooks are an elite class of Mook, greater even than Mook Seniors. You are skilled, but you are nowhere near my level."  
Deckard turned to face it, but it was suddenly behind him again. "If I wanted to, I could finish you off right now," the Abductor Mook stated, "but that would defeat the purpose of collecting you for the master. It will be easier if you just give up, Earthling. You must be able to see by now that I can easily evade all of your attacks; you have no chance of hitting me."  
Slowly, Deckard turned around. He squeezed his eyes shut, frustrated.  
He had always trained to better himself and improve his abilities; it was the meaning of his life. Never before had he met someone who was beyond his level of skill. Now that he had met someone who could run circles around him, he didn't know what to do.  
_I can't just give up,_ he thought. _I can't..._  
Lexa looked at him in concern, seeing how upset he was. "Deckard..."  
Deckard gritted his teeth, steeling his resolve. _I won't just give in,_ he promised to himself. _I still have one attack left. I've never had to use it before, but it's all I have left._  
He concentrated. "Healing Beta." His sword arm unfroze, returning to normal.  
The Abductor Mook stared at him. "What are you doing?" it demanded. "There is no way that you will be able to hit me."  
"We'll see about that," said Deckard. Free to move his sword arm again, he brought it up and gripped the sword in two hands, forming a new stance. "I have one attack left, you alien creep," he spat. "If you think that I'll just give in to you, you're dead wrong."  
The Mook laughed. "Very well, ugly Earthling," it said, amused. "Let us see this final attack of yours. I guarantee that it will not touch me."  
Lexa cheered Deckard on. "You can do it, Deckard!" she called.  
Deckard closed his eyes and concentrated, harder than he ever had before. His PSI responded, gathering about him in an aura of mental energy. He focused all of his psychic power into what he was about to do next.  
The air around Deckard began to crackle with energy. The Abductor Mook's eyestalks widened. "What's this?"  
"Dodge this!" Deckard cried. "PSI Eternal Wind Sword Alpha!"  
Suddenly Deckard blasted forward at an amazing speed, faster than he could normally move, and crashed into the Abductor Mook. Almost instantaneously, he slashed at the enemy over and over again. The psychic power that Deckard had built up greatly enhanced the strength and speed of his attack. He slashed at the enemy again and again, as many times as he possibly could.  
Finally, he had to stop. Breathing heavily, Deckard slumped forward, leaning on his sword for support. All of his built-up psychic energy had been expended, and he was completely drained.  
The Abductor Mook stood behind him. "That was an impressive attack," it said. "We did not even know that one could power a physical attack with psychic energy."  
With much effort, Deckard turned around to face it. _So even that didn't work,_ he thought in despair. There was nothing else he could do; that last attack had taken all of his energy. He could barely move.  
"Deckard?" Lexa asked, concerned about him. "Are you okay?"  
The Mook started laughing again--and then stopped. About three-fourths of its tentacles suddenly fell off. One of its eyestalks widened in surprise as the other one fell off. "It cannot be!" the Mook cried. "How did you do this?"  
Deckard smiled. His attack had worked after all. The Abductor Mook had been very fast, but it wasn't invincible.  
The Abductor Mook's one remaining eyestalk stared at itself in disbelief. "You... You actually hit me!" it cried.  
Its disbelief turned to rage. "You... You... You will pay for this!" it shouted at Deckard. "I no longer care about capturing you! Because of you, I have been horribly maimed, you ugly Earthling!"  
Deckard's smile widened. "What's the matter?" he asked, his speech becoming slurred; he was so exhausted he could hardly stand. "Not having fun anymore, because your prey can bite back?"  
"I will make you pay for your insolence!" the Mook shouted. "I will make you feel tenfold the pain you have caused me! You will suffer for what you have done!"  
Then its eyestalk focused on Lexa. She stepped back, afraid. It turned to her. "Because of what you have done to me," it told Deckard, "this other Earthling you care for will receive my retribution."  
Lexa was frozen in terror. Deckard's eyes widened as he realized what the Mook was going to do. He stepped forward, almost collapsing from the effort. "Don't hurt her!" he cried.  
"Hurt her?" the Mook repeated. "I will do no such thing. My mission is to gather prime specimens of Earthlings for the master's plans. By taking this particular one, you accursed Earthling, you will be forced to live the rest of your life with the knowledge that you could do nothing to save her! You will feel this pain as long as you live!"  
"Lexa, run!" Deckard cried. "Get out of here! Run away!"  
"But what about you?" Lexa cried back.  
"That doesn't matter!" Deckard replied. "Just get out of here! Run!"  
Reluctantly, she listened to him. She turned and fled.  
"Do you really think you can escape?" the Abductor Mook asked sarcastically. It pointed one of its remaining tentacles at Lexa. "Paralysis Alpha!"  
Lexa's body suddenly became numb, and she couldn't move. "Deckard, help!" she cried frantically.  
The Abductor Mook approached her triumphantly. "You are mine, Earth female," it said insidiously.  
In desperation, Deckard ran toward them, despite his exhaustion. "Lexa! No!"  
His legs collapsed under him, and he plunged into blackness. The last thing he heard was the Abductor Mook laughing.

When he finally came to, Deckard was in someone's house. He sat up slowly; his body ached terribly.  
There was a dark-haired woman in the room with him; she was sitting in a chair, resting. When she saw him awake, she stood up and went to him. "You finally woke up," she said.  
Deckard stared at her. "Who are you?" he asked. "Where am I?"  
"My name is Vera," the woman replied. "My husband brought you here; this is our house." At Deckard's puzzled expression, she continued. "He found you lying in the street, near some broken signs. When he brought you here, he said that they were the same signs that had suddenly started attacking people. Since you apparently tried to fight the signs, my husband appreciated what you did, and brought you to our house so that you could recover."  
Then Deckard remembered everything that had happened. He hung his head, ashamed of himself. "Lexa..."  
Vera stared at him in puzzlement. "Who?"  
Deckard looked up at her; she seemed like a nice person. So he told her everything that had happened.

"So you see," he concluded miserably, "because of my stupid pride, Lexa was kidnapped by the aliens."  
He clenched his hand into a fist out of frustration as a tear ran down his cheek. "It's all my fault. If I had just given up, and let the alien take me, it would have left her alone. It's all my fault."  
Vera placed her hand over his. "Maybe you're right, Deckard," she said. "But then again, that alien might have taken her anyway, even if you had given up and allowed yourself to be taken. A lot of people vanished after the attack; she could have been one of them anyway."  
Deckard looked up at her. "What?"  
Vera smiled. "You're putting all the blame on yourself," she said, "but in reality you are not to blame. Even if you hadn't fought it, there was nothing stopping the alien from taking her or hurting her; from what you told me about it, the alien would almost certainly have taken her anyway. The one who is truly to blame is the alien, for abducting people like this."  
Slowly, Deckard nodded. "I understand," he said. "Thank you, Vera."  
She nodded back. "You're welcome, Deckard," she replied. "You fought bravely against the attack when most other people ran away. I must also thank YOU, for what you did."  
Deckard smiled, and looked down. "But I still have to find her," he said.  
"What?"  
Deckard looked up at Vera again. "Lexa. No matter whose fault it is, that Mook thing took her. She's one of the nicest people I've ever met, Vera; she doesn't deserve this. I have to find her and rescue her."  
"I understand that," Vera replied, "but you have no idea where to find the aliens. Unless you get some idea of where to look, it will be like searching for a needle in a very large haystack."  
"I know," he acknowledged, "but I still have to do this. It's the right thing to do."  
Vera thought for a moment. "Well," she said, "you said that the alien was called an Abductor Mook, right?"  
Deckard nodded.  
"Well," she said, "The Chosen Four who fought in the war against Giygas 30 years ago once battled strange aliens called Mooks. Perhaps this new one is related to them in some way."  
"You think so?" said Deckard.  
"Yes," said Vera. "So, if you were to find one of the Chosen Four, perhaps they could help you find the aliens and rescue Lexa."  
"That's a great idea!" said Deckard. "But where could I find one of them?"  
Vera thought on this. "Hmmm... Well, there's Dr. Jeff Andonuts," she said. "He's the only one of the Chosen Four I know anything about."  
"Where can I find him?" Deckard asked.  
"When I was younger, I read some information that the media had obtained on the Chosen Four," she answered. "Jeff Andonuts' father had a laboratory in Winters, far to the north. If you went there, maybe you would find him, or at least a clue on where to find him."  
"Okay, then," he agreed. "That's what I'll do, then." He got out of bed, ignoring his aching muscles.  
"Are you sure you're okay to move around?" Vera asked him, concerned.  
"I'll be okay," Deckard assured her. "I've rested long enough. I can't rest anymore until I find Lexa."  
"Take this, then," Vera said. She held up the Shining Wind Sword. "My husband found it near you when he saw you."  
Deckard took the sword and sheathed it. "Thanks. Thank you for everything you've done for me. And when your husband comes home, please give him my thanks too."  
"I will," Vera promised. "Just please don't overstrain yourself, Deckard. You won't be any use to Lexa if you get yourself killed. If you need to, you can stay at our house whenever you like."

Deckard then went to the Anti-Stoic Club and told the owner that he had to quit his job for a while. The owner said that he understood, but he asked Deckard to come back and resume his job once he found Lexa; of course, Deckard agreed.  
After that was taken care of, Deckard got on a bus and headed for Summers International Airport, to take an airplane to Winters.  
On the way to the airport, he looked out the bus window, at the world around him. Despite his best efforts, however, thoughts of Lexa kept occupying his mind.  
There was no one else like her. She had held his hand, and she had said, "From now on, I'll always notice you." No one else had ever told him anything like that.  
Deckard had always been a loner; without a family, he had given his own meaning to his life. But now, in such a short time, there was someone else who also gave meaning to his life. Deckard realized that Lexa meant more to him than his own life.  
_I won't let you down, Lexa,_ he promised. _I won't stop until I've found you. I'll go through anything and anyone to find you. I don't care how many Abductor Mooks I have to fight, I won't stop!_  
With this resolve, Deckard watched as the bus bore him to the airport.

Little did Deckard realize that his search for Lexa was part of something much larger, and that his own destiny awaited him...

**_And so begins Deckard Petersen's part in the story..._**


	5. Earthbound 202X Prologue Part 5

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Prologue Part 5**

In the town of Duplora, in the country of Hawkland... In a run-down orphanage on the outskirts of town...

It is the morning after the fateful events that took place in the first part of the prologue.

Sitting by herself in the small cafeteria, Karen finished her lunch.  
The food wasn't that great, but it was edible. Karen didn't want to think negatively about it; the cafeteria workers were probably the nicest people in the orphanage. It wasn't their fault that the food wasn't good; they were just supplied with low-grade ingredients to make the food with.  
She took her tray up to be washed, and then she left the cafeteria, ignoring the snickering of the other kids there. It was nothing new to her, and she had learned to just pretend that their insults didn't exist. They attempted to torment her every day, and nothing she had done had ever been able to make them stop, so her only option was to ignore them.  
Not wanting to get involved in anything, Karen returned to the dormitory room. There were very few kids who were in there during the day, and so Karen usually had the room to herself during the day. It was perhaps the only place where she could relax. She sat down on her bed and thought about how miserable she was.

Karen was 15 years old, and she had spent 14 of them at the Duplora Orphanage (at least, that was what one of the supervisors had told her; she had been too young to remember). Her eyes and neck-length hair were black as night, and her pale skin betrayed the fact that she hardly ever was able to go outside. She was rather attractive, but the other kids in the orphanage were always too busy making fun of her to notice.  
Even at an early age, she had been different from the other kids. Karen had always been precocious and remarkably wise for her age, unlike the others. Kids have a terrible way of shunning people who are different, and so it was with Karen; if they weren't ostracizing her, they were making fun of her. It had always been that way, even now; the only difference was that their insults and jeering had become even worse.  
At first, this treatment had greatly upset her, and it had hurt her feelings badly. She had asked the supervisors to make them stop, but they had simply said that kids will be kids, and that that was what kids did. The last time Karen had tried to get help from one of them, he had shut the door in her face. Over time, Karen was less and less affected by it, until she came to simply ignore it.  
This had caused her to become outwardly dispassionate, and she rarely, if ever, showed her emotions on the surface. There was no point; if she cried as she had back then, it would only make things worse, as it had in the past. In the end, she pretended that she didn't care what anyone thought of her. If someone hurt her feelings, she did not show it.  
At age 6, she had discovered her PSI for the first time. The experience had been very traumatic. One day, a boy named Jordan, a very mean boy who still tormented Karen even in the present, had insulted her and hurt her feelings more than he ever had before, and he wouldn't leave her alone. Karen had never been so hurt before by anything; all she had wanted was for Jordan to stop hurting her and to leave her alone. The next thing anyone knew, Jordan's shirt was on fire, and he did indeed stop hurting her as he ran around screaming. The fire set off the smoke detector, and the supervisors came in and put the fire out. They eventually determined that Jordan had been too close to the old-fashioned heating unit, and they warned him to be more careful in the future. But Karen had known the truth; something in her heart told her that she was responsible for the fire.  
Ever since then, she had developed her PSI whenever she could; however, she had to keep it secret so that none of the others found out about it. Because she rarely had an opportunity to practice in such secrecy, though, Karen had not been able to develop her powers very much. Even so, they were slowly becoming stronger.

Above all else, Karen wanted one thing: to find her parents. According to the supervisors, her parents had left her at the orphanage 14 years ago, asking them to take care of her. Then they had disappeared, and no one had heard anything from them since.  
Karen knew in her heart that her parents had loved her. But she didn't understand why they had just dropped her off at an orphanage. She knew nothing about them at all, not even their last name. That was another thing that set her apart from most of the other kids in the orphanage; most of them had actually known their parents at one point, before their parents died.  
Some people thought that her parents were dead; Karen refused to believe this. She clung to the hope that they were out there, somewhere, waiting for her to find them. And one day, Karen promised herself, she would do just that, and she would finally be with people who loved her. Someday...

Karen wiped the tear from her eye, mentally scolding herself. _I must be strong,_ she reprimanded. _I have to be. If the others see me cry, then they'll just laugh even harder._  
It wasn't fair, though. Why did it have to be her who was the butt of everyone's jokes? Why did it have to be her whom everyone picked on to increase their own self-esteem? Why did it have to be her whom no one cared about, her who was forced to feel the cold pain of neglect?  
Angry and frustrated, she leapt to her feet. "Why?" she cried, at no one in particular. With a helpless sob, she sank back onto the bed.

Having gotten it out of her system, Karen felt a little better. "What should I do now?" she asked herself.  
After thinking for a moment, she decided to practice her PSI, since it appeared that no one else was around. Sitting on the bed, she folded her hands in her lap and concentrated. "PSI Flash Alpha!"  
The room suddenly lit up with a blinding flash, which quickly died away. Karen usually practiced this ability the most, because it didn't really hurt anything.  
Karen smiled; using her PSI always made her feel better. Feeling a little bolder, she decided to try another ability.  
She reached under her bed and found a small box; she kept them under there for target practice, when she got the chance. She walked over to an end table on the other side of the room, with a lamp on it, and she set the box beside the lamp. A few years ago she would have moved the lamp in case of an accident, but now she felt confident in her abilities and didn't think she had to move it.  
Once the box was set up, Karen went back to her bed and sat down on it. She looked at the box, extended a finger at it, and concentrated. "PSI Beam Alpha--"  
At that moment, someone entered the room. "Where did that weird flash come from a moment ago?" the newcomer asked.  
Startled, Karen accidentally shifted her hand... And the psychic beam burst from her finger and struck the lamp instead of the box. The lamp shattered into hundreds of pieces.  
Karen gasped, horrified; not only had she broken the lamp, but someone had seen her power. Frightened, she turned to look at the person who had come in.  
To her surprise, it was a boy; this was the girls' dormitory room, and boys didn't usually come in here. His jaw was hanging wide open as he stared at her in surprise.  
Karen recognized him; the boy's name was Neil Willard. He had just turned 16 recently, he had dark brown hair and grey eyes, and he was a little shorter than the other boys. From what Karen had seen of him before, he usually didn't talk much. He never made fun of her himself, but he always laughed with all the others when someone else made fun of her.  
She tried to think of some way to explain away what she had just done, but everything she came up with was preposterous. She was caught; Neil had specifically seen her use her PSI.  
While Karen tried in vain to think of something, he ended up speaking first. "You... You have PSI," he said, his shock wearing off. "Like the four heroes in the war against Giygas 30 years ago."  
She was definitely caught. Despairingly, she hung her head and gave a weak nod. "...I guess you have something else to make fun of me about, now," she replied. "Since now you know another way I'm different from you."  
Neil looked at her; she didn't see it, but his face never adopted a hint of a sneer or smirk.  
Suddenly one of the supervisors, Mr. Angorage, came into the room behind Neil. "What's going on in here?" he demanded. "I heard something shatter." His eyes saw the broken lamp, and then they locked on Karen, sitting on the bed with her head down. "Karen!" he shouted. "Are you the one responsible for this vandalism?"  
Karen felt even worse; Mr. Angorage didn't like her, which was why he had automatically decided that she had committed vandalism. He would probably give her a severe punishment for what she had done.  
Neil turned to Mr. Angorage. "I broke the lamp, sir," he said.  
Karen looked up at him, shocked. Mr. Angorage, also surprised, turned to him. "YOU did this, Neil?" he asked.  
Neil nodded. "It was my fault, Mr. Angorage," he said. "I accidentally knocked it over."  
Mr. Angorage looked over at Karen. "Then why is she sitting there with a guilty look on her face, as if she did it?" he said.  
"Because, sir," Neil answered, "Karen said she would take the blame for me, which was really nice of her. But I can't let her do that; I have to take responsibility for my own actions."  
The supervisor looked at him again. "Hmmm... That's very commendable of you, Neil," he said. "Well, um, just make sure it doesn't happen again, okay?"  
"I promise it won't," Neil assured him. Mr. Angorage nodded and left the room.

After he was gone, Karen stood up and faced Neil. She could not fathom why Neil had done that for her. "...Why?" she asked.  
Neil smiled. "It felt like the right thing to do," he said. "I guess that, in a way, I was trying to apologize."  
Karen's black eyes stared at him. "I don't understand."  
Neil looked away, uncomfortable from her stare. "I wanted to apologize for laughing at you along with everyone else," he said. "I've been meaning to for a long time, and every time I had a chance, the words just wouldn't come out."  
He put his hands in his pockets and looked down. "It's wrong that everyone makes fun of you all the time," he said. "But I laughed at you too, because if I didn't, then they would all start making fun of me too."  
Karen continued to stare, not comprehending. Everyone had made fun of her for so long that she couldn't believe what Neil was saying.  
Neil looked up and met her gaze. "But that's no excuse for what I did to you," he said. "I was a jerk. I'm sorry for hurting you, Karen."  
Finally it sank in. Karen slowly smiled, tears in her eyes; someone in the orphanage DID care about her. "...Thank you, Neil," she said. "That really means a lot to me."

They spent the next few hours talking. Neil asked Karen a lot about her PSI gift (he seemed very interested in it), but he also wanted to learn about her and who she was. Karen learned that Neil was actually a very kind and caring person. He usually went along with the main group so that they wouldn't make fun of him, but he almost never meant it when they did something mean.  
Finally, it started to get dark. Neil looked at the clock on the wall. "It's getting late," he said. "The cafeteria will be serving dinner soon."  
"Oh," said Karen; she hadn't realized that they had been talking so long. She looked at the floor. "Do you... want to go and eat with me?" she asked, not used to asking such a thing. _He probably won't,_ she thought pessimistically. _He hangs out with everyone else, who makes fun of me all the time..._  
Neil surprised her with his answer. "Of course."  
She looked up. "You mean, you really want to?"  
"Why wouldn't I?" Neil replied. "We're friends, aren't we?"  
This caused her to feel warm inside. In all her life, she had never had a friend before. The fact that she now had one made her feel happier than she had ever been before. _My first friend,_ she thought with a smile.  
Karen stood up; since Neil was shorter than the other boys, Karen was as tall as him. "Let's go, then," she said. Neil nodded, and they left the room.

On the way to the cafeteria, they ran into Mr. Angorage, who stopped them. "Karen, I was just about to come find you," he said, a hint of dislike in his voice.  
Karen froze; had he decided that she had broken the lamp after all? Neil opened his mouth to take the blame for her again, but Mr. Angorage cut him off. "There's a man in the office to see you, Karen," he said. "He says he's your father."  
Her jaw dropped. "My... My father?" she asked incredulously. "He's actually here?"  
Mr. Angorage nodded. "He gave us records that prove it. He wants to see you."  
In a daze, Karen nodded and followed him to the office. She had never expected that either of her parents would show up and claim her. Now that one of them apparently had come for her, they would be together, a family again.  
Neil was left behind, forgotten.

Mr. Angorage showed her into the office, and for the first time, Karen met the man who said he was her father.  
He was fat; he couldn't have weighed much less than 280 pounds. He dressed in a nondescript brown suit that was clearly too small for him. His shaggy blond hair was like an old mop, falling every which way with no attempt at styling. When he looked at her, he brushed the hair out of his eyes, which were as black as Karen's.  
Karen blinked. She had often wondered what her father looked like, but her imagination had never come up with anything like this.  
Mr. Angorage gestured to him. "Karen, this is your father, Mr. P. Minch."  
The fat man waved a hand at him and spoke in a voice that hinted of malice. "Please, sir, just call me 'Mister P.'"

Karen sat silently while Mister P signed the papers that would place her into his custody.  
Mr. Angorage looked over them to make sure they were all signed properly, and then he nodded. "Okay then, Mister P, you're free to take her," he said. "Have a nice day."  
"Thank you," Mister P replied. He looked over at Karen. "Well, then, shall we go, daughter?" he asked.  
He got up out of the chair and left the office. Karen followed him, frowning. _Why was there a hint of sarcasm in his voice?_ she wondered.  
On the way out, Karen didn't even see Neil. She suddenly realized that when Mr. Angorage had taken her to her father, she had abandoned Neil without so much as a goodbye.  
This realization made her feel terrible. Just when she had finally found her first friend, she had abandoned him.  
_I have to apologize to him,_ she decided. She called out to the man in front of her. "F... Father?" she asked, the term unfamiliar to her.  
To her surprise, Mister P actually winced when she said that. "What?" he demanded, turning around.  
Under his glare, Karen felt afraid. "I... I have to go say goodbye to someone," she answered.  
"No time," Mister P replied. "I'm running late as it is. Come on."  
"But--"  
"Now!" he snapped.  
Hurt, Karen followed him, feeling as if she were abandoning Neil a second time.  
As they left the orphanage, one of the boys who always made fun of Karen saw her leaving with Mister P. "So your father finally did come for you, Karen," he said with a laugh. "No wonder you're a freak, seeing how your father's a fat pig like this."  
Mister P turned to him, his hateful glare boring into the boy. "You'd better watch your mouth, kid," he said in a sinister voice. He flicked his right wrist upward, and a sharp blade slid out of his sleeve. He advanced on the boy menacingly.  
Karen stared at Mister P in surprise as the boy wet his pants and ran away as fast as he possibly could. With an insidious laugh, Mister P flicked his wrist again, and the blade returned to its resting place inside his sleeve. He looked over at her. "Come on," he ordered. "I don't want any more interruptions."

They finally left the orphanage, and went out into the streets of the North Side of Duplora. It was dark out, and there was almost no traffic on the road.  
Karen looked at the world around her in awe; she rarely, if ever, had been able to go out into town. The only place anyone in the orphanage could go outside was the outdoor recreation area in the back; it was surrounded by a high fence. The orphanage was located on the very edge of Duplora, bordering the forest to the north.  
As she walked, Karen tried to remember what little she knew about the surrounding area. Duplora was one of four towns in this region of Hawkland, and one of three that were surrounded by the Great Northern Forest of Hawkland. To the west, past a highway through the forest, lay the town of Primera, which was about the same size as Duplora. To the east, through a rather large meadow, was the larger town of Troisemburg. And past Troisemburg to the northeast, on the other side of the Northern Wetlands, was Quattro City, the largest city in the region; it was on the northern coast of Hawkland.  
Karen had acquired that information from an old map of the region she had found in the orphanage years ago. She knew nothing else about the outside world.  
Soon they had left the orphanage behind, and it wasn't even within sight anymore. _Where is his car?_ Karen wondered. She called out to Mister P, who was still ahead of her. "Where are we going, Father?" she asked, still unfamiliar with calling someone that.  
"Don't ask questions," Mister P snapped over his shoulder, not even turning to look at her.  
Stung by his remark, Karen looked down. It finally got through to her that her father was not the kind, caring man she had hoped he'd be. Instead, he was a fat, malignant, extremely dangerous person. Karen shut her eyes, trying hard not to cry; her greatest hope and desire had been shattered, and she was left with the cold sting of disillusionment. _I wish I hadn't abandoned Neil the way I did,_ she thought yet again. _I left my first friend behind without so much as a goodbye... For this man._  
Ashamed of herself, she covered her face with her hands. _I'm a terrible person..._

Finally, Mister P stopped. "This is the place," he said, mostly to himself. "This is where he said to go."  
Karen looked around; they were in a dark alley behind several nondescript buildings. It was too dark to see much else, although there was a single light on the side of one of the buildings that illuminated the immediate area. "Where are we?" she asked without emotion.  
Mister P turned to her. "I suppose I can tell you now," he said; in the dim light Karen could make out a smirk on his face. "This is where they're coming to pick us up," he explained cryptically. "They aren't completely set up yet, or else I could have just gone back to base myself."  
She didn't know why, but his words made her very afraid. She took a step back from him.  
Her fear caused Mister P to laugh. He stepped forward until he was right in front of her. "Your hair, your eyes," he said, "they remind me exactly of HIM. I wonder what else you inherited from your old man?"  
Then Karen knew. She looked at Mister P in a new light. "You're not my father."  
Mister P laughed. "Nope, I'm not," he said. "I have to admit, though, I did a pretty good job of faking it."  
Karen thought otherwise, but she didn't say so. "Why?" she asked. "Why did you do this?"  
"I'm following orders from the master," Mister P replied. "He ordered me to come here and take you out of the orphanage. He wants you out of the way, so that you can't interfere with our plans like your pig's butt father did."  
She stepped away from him again, terrified. Mister P smiled a very evil smile. "He told me to either kill you, or collect you for his private Earthling menagerie. Don't get me wrong, I'd much rather kill you, but he'll reward me better if I take you alive."  
His evil smile widened. "On the other hand, though, he didn't tell me I had to collect you without harming you." He flicked his wrist again, and the blade Karen had seen before slid out. "So I'm going to have some fun with you before they get here."  
Karen tried to back away from him again; it was quite clear that he meant to hurt her. "No! Stay away from me!"  
Mister P just laughed and suddenly lunged at her, slashing with the blade. More by reflex than anything, Karen tried to twist out of the way, but the blade caught her on the cheek. Crying out in pain, she put a hand to her face. Mister P snickered. "There's one. Let's see how many more I can get in before they get here."  
Karen looked at her hand; there was blood on it. She looked up at Mister P again. Hearing his evil, deranged laughing, her fear turned to anger. This man had pretended to be her father, and now he was trying to hurt her. She was not going to let him hurt her anymore.  
Angrily, Karen raised her hand at Mister P, starting to concentrate. "Stay away from me," she said.  
"Or what?" asked Mister P with a sneer. "You'll push me away? You're as stupid as your father."  
Karen's eyes narrowed. "PSI Fire Alpha!"  
Fire burst from her fingertips and flew at Mister P. Just before it reached him, he brought a small device from behind his back and pushed a button. The fire was stopped by an invisible shield.  
Surprised, Karen lowered her hand. "How did it...?"  
"It's my portable psychic shield," Mister P explained. "As long as I have it, you can't touch me with that PSI of yours." He laughed. "I guess it's only fitting that you have psychic power just like that pig's butt father of yours."  
He advanced on her again, ready to cut her with his blade again. Starting to feel frightened again, Karen used another PSI ability. "PSI Thunder Alpha!"  
A bolt of lightning struck down from the heavens and hit a garbage can nearby, missing Mister P completely. He laughed again. "Looks like you can't aim that one," he said.  
Karen backed away from him, not knowing what to do. If he was shielded against her PSI, there was no way she could fight him.  
Mister P brought out another device and looked at it. "Crap, they're going to be here in thirty seconds," he said. He looked up at Karen. "Well, it looks like your failed attempt to attack me bought you some time, so I don't have time to hurt you anymore." He flicked his wrist, putting the blade away.  
Then he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed her by the arm. "But soon, you'll see things that are a lot scarier than I am," he said insidiously. "You'll wish I had killed you."  
Karen tried in vain to break free of his grasp. "No! Let go of me!"  
"Fifteen more seconds," Mister P said. "Then you'll belong to him along with all the others he's taken already."  
Suddenly something shot out of the darkness and struck Mister P. He was knocked away from Karen, and he lost his grip on her arm. "What the...?"  
Karen looked around to see who had saved her, and saw someone she hadn't expected to see again. "Neil!"  
Indeed it was Neil. He stood between Karen and Mister P. "I didn't like the look of that guy," Neil said, "so I snuck out of the orphanage and followed you."  
"You came to help me," said Karen, smiling. "Thank you, Neil." Then she remembered. "And I'm really sorry for just leaving you when Mr. Angorage said my father was there. I didn't mean to--"  
Neil stopped her. "You don't have to apologize," he said. "I know you wanted to see your family again."  
Struggling to get off of his fat butt, Mister P looked at his device. "Oh, crap," he said. "The master's not going to be pleased with this..."  
Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder overhead, and Mister P disappeared in a flash of light.  
Surprised, Neil looked up at the sky. "What was THAT?"  
Karen looked up also. "If he had been holding onto me when that happened, I would have disappeared too..." She looked at Neil gratefully. "Thank you again for what you did, Neil. If you hadn't come..."  
"It's fine," Neil said. "I'm just glad I was able to help."

They slept in the alley until dawn.  
After they woke up, Neil asked, "So now what? What do you want to do, Karen?"  
"Well," said Karen, "I really don't want to go back to the orphanage. I want to find my parents, Neil... My real parents."  
Neil smiled. "Then I'll come with you. You're probably going to need some help."  
"You really want to come with me?" Karen asked. She hadn't expected this.  
"I don't really want to go back either," Neil replied. "Besides, you're my friend, and I want to help you."  
This caused her to feel warm inside. She may not have found her family, but she had found a friend. "Thank you, Neil."

They started walking, not having any clear destination. As they walked, Karen thought about everything that had happened; so much had happened in such a short time.  
She thought about that man, Mister P. He knew her father in some way; he had shown that when he talked about her father. Hearing about him had made her want to find her parents even more. Not an evil pretender, but her real parents; people that really cared about her. Since the events of last night, that hope had been revived.  
She looked over at Neil, the boy who had changed her life yesterday. She could not ask for a better friend. Thanks to him, she had not been kidnapped by Mister P, and now she would not have to search for her family alone.  
Karen watched the sunrise as they walked. She couldn't remember seeing a nicer sunrise. It made her believe that someday, somehow, she WOULD find her parents.

What Karen did not know, however, was that her destiny awaited her...

**_And so begins Karen's part in the story..._**


	6. Earthbound 202X Prologue Part 6

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Prologue Part 6**

In the mountain country of Dalaam, in the palace of Emperor Poo... In the throne room, where someone else began his journey long ago...

It is the morning after the fateful events that took place in the first part of the prologue.

"The time has come," said the old master. "You have progressed extremely well in your training. You have finished all training in a surprisingly short amount of time, faster than anyone else in the history of our country. Now, it is time for you to undergo the final training, the test to see whether or not you are worthy."  
The boy, clad in a white gi like a certain other 30 years ago, stood before the master, listening to his words.  
The master spoke again. "Kato, the time has come for you to attempt Mu training."  
12-year-old Kato started in surprise. "But Master, the training of Mu is reserved only for royalty!" he said. "I am only a simple bodyguard-in-training. The place of nothingness is not for the likes of me."  
The master nodded. "Ordinarily you would speak the truth, young Kato," he agreed. "However, these are not ordinary times. As we all know, there IS no more royalty." He looked over at the throne of Dalaam, which had been empty for the past three years. "Emperor Poo is gone. He left no one to take his place. Since the royal family is gone, we must turn to the next most worthy to attempt the training of Mu." The old master looked at Kato again. "And the next most worthy is you, Kato."  
With a nod, Kato accepted this. "Then I must attempt the training," he said.  
"Yes," said the old master in approval. "Go to the place of nothingness, Kato. Go there and meditate. Clear your mind from all thought, becoming as nothing like the place of Mu. Then your training will begin."  
"But Master, what is the nature of Mu training?" Kato asked curiously.  
The master stared at him for a moment, as if debating whether or not to tell him. "The nature of Mu training," he finally said, "is the test of pain."  
Kato's eyes widened. "The test of pain?"  
"The test of pain," the master repeated. "It may be physical pain, mental pain, spiritual pain, or even a combination of those three. And it will not be easy to endure the pain, Kato. You will be tempted to give in to the pain; if such a thing happens, you will fail the training. You must be strong, Kato, for you are the only one left who even has a chance to complete this training."  
"Then I will complete it," Kato promised with confidence. "I will not fail you, Master."  
"Should you fail," the master replied, "it is not me you will be failing as much as yourself."

Kato left the palace and started on the journey down the mountain to where he would find Mu, the place of nothingness.  
Along the way, he looked around. The economic state of Dalaam had been declining for the past fifteen years, and after the disappearance of Emperor Poo three years ago, it had dropped like a stone. Houses were falling apart, there wasn't nearly enough food, and the people had little hope that their tiny country would last another five years. The current state of things greatly saddened Kato, but he didn't know what he could do about it.  
As he passed them, the Dalaamese people stared at Kato in a strange mixture of fear, envy, and hope. As a bodyguard-in-training, Kato was above them even though he was not royalty. The people who lived in the palace had not begun to feel the effects of Dalaam's poverty yet, but Kato knew that that would change soon enough.  
He thought about his position. Kato had been trained from birth to be a bodyguard to Emperor Poo; as such, he was a highly-skilled warrior even though he was only 12 years old. He would have made a fine bodyguard to the emperor, except that the emperor was gone.

For the most part, Emperor Poo had trained Kato himself, until he was 8 years old. Kato had liked the emperor; he was strict in his teachings, but he also had much kindness that showed through. People called him Emperor Poo the Wise, because he was a just and fair ruler.  
Kato remembered what the emperor had always told him, time and time again. "You have great potential, Kato," he would say. "Someday, you will become more powerful than I am." He had been very fond of Kato, although he tried not to show it too much. He had even taught Kato the power of the Starstorm, the great power that Poo had learned in the war against the evil one.  
Then, shortly after Kato had turned 8, the emperor had stopped training him. He became very distant, speaking only with the old master in short, whispered conversations. Kato had not understood what was happening.  
Finally, one year later, the people of Dalaam had awakened one day to find that their emperor was gone. There was no trace of where he went; he had simply disappeared, vanished into thin air. And with him had gone all chances of continuing the royal family line.  
Ever since that day, the master, the ancient old man who had trained the emperor himself, had taken it upon himself to continue Kato's training. And finally, it had come to this.

Kato was jarred from his reverie when he saw the entrance to the cave. It was cut into the mountainside, and it was bordered by an elaborately-carved purple frame. Kato frowned; this was the entrance to the Pink Cloud Cave.  
Before the war against the evil one 30 years ago, the Pink Cloud had been said to bring prosperity to Dalaam. This may have had some truth to it, because before the war, the country, although simple, had been very well off. After the war, however, people had gone through the cave to find that the Pink Cloud was gone. The door at the end of the cave that had led to it now led only to open air, and a great fall and certain death for anyone who stepped out of it. The Pink Cloud was gone, and so was Dalaam's symbol of prosperity.  
And strangely enough, it was after the Pink Cloud's disappearance that the first signs of Dalaam's economic decline began to show. People now blamed the absence of the Pink Cloud for the country's current state, and a few even blamed it for the emperor's disappearance.

Finally, after a long walk down the mountainside, Kato came to Mu, the place of nothingness. He effortlessly climbed the ropes that led to the top of the tiny peak, and before long he had reached it.  
Kato had never been at this place before; as he had told the old master earlier, this place was reserved only for royalty. Now that he was here, the sights and sounds of the world around him seemed to fade away, and Kato understood why it was called the place of nothingness.  
_It is time to begin the final training,_ he thought. _It is time to see whether or not I deserve the master's faith in me._  
He sat cross-legged on the ground and began to meditate, clearing his mind, becoming as nothing...

In the formless void around him, something approached. Kato couldn't make out what it was, and he wondered if it was some kind of ghost.  
Finally, it floated in the air before him. "Greetings, Kato," it said. Its voice could not be placed; it seemed to speak with many voices at once. "I am the spirit of your ancestors."  
Kato had the uncomfortable feeling that the spirit was scrutinizing him. "You are very similar to the last person who came to this place," the spirit said. "Therefore, you will undergo the same as he."  
It paused a moment, and then continued. "To complete your training, Kato, I am going to break your legs. You will lose the use of them."  
Kato almost jumped up in surprise. _How will such a thing complete my training?_ he thought.  
The spirit hung in the void before him. "Do you accept this?" it asked.  
Then Kato remembered what the old master had said about the final training. _Then, this is the test of pain..._  
Kato looked up at the spirit. "Yes."  
Abruptly his legs twisted in a manner that they were never meant to, and Kato felt pain the likes of which he had never felt before as every bone in his legs shattered. He bit down on his lip, trying hard to keep from screaming.  
The spirit continued to hang there, almost mockingly. "Now, Kato, you can no longer walk. But the training is not finished yet. Next, I am going to tear out your arms. You will no longer have them. Do you accept this?"  
_My arms? I don't want to lose those!_ Kato thought, still trying to endure the pain of losing his legs. But he knew in his heart that if he refused, he would fail the training. "...Yes," he answered.  
He forgot about the previous pain as his arms were suddenly torn out of their sockets and burned away in the void. This time, he did scream, unable to prevent it.  
When he finally stopped, the spirit still hung over him. "Now you have lost both your arms and legs, Kato," it said. "You can do nothing but lie there, helpless to do anything. And still it is not enough. Next, I am going to take your ears, Kato. You will lose the ability to hear. Do you accept this?"  
Kato wanted more than anything to just tell the spirit no. He was in so much pain that he couldn't stand any more. But he did not refuse. "...Yes."  
He screamed again as his ears were suddenly destroyed... And he could no longer hear his own screaming.  
Finally, he stopped again, although he wasn't sure since he could no longer hear it. He was filled with the pain of losing his arms, legs, and his ears. He didn't think it was possible for the human body to withstand so much pain.  
Still the spirit hung over him. And now, words suddenly appeared above it. _Now you can no longer even hear me speak to you,_ it said. _I am forced to float words through the air so that you can see them and understand what I am saying to you. You have lost your arms, legs, and ears; you can only lie there, helpless, and watch. And yet, it is still not enough. Next, Kato, I am going to take your eyes, and with them, the last of your ability to perceive the world around you. Do you accept this?_  
He wanted more than anything just to make the pain stop. And not just the physical pain; he also wanted to stop the pain of knowing that he would never be able to do anything again. He wanted it all to stop. But even now, he did not refuse. "Yes..." he said, not hearing his own voice.  
And Kato was filled with yet more pain as his eyes were gouged out, and the world went dark. The pain was overwhelming; he didn't know if he was screaming or not, and at this point he didn't care.  
He suddenly sensed something within his mind. _So, Kato, it has come to this,_ the spirit said. _Without your sight, I am now forced to communicate directly with your mind. You have lost everything, Kato, except for your mind; it is all you have left. And now I am going to take your mind, Kato. But you probably don't want to accept that, do you?_  
Kato felt miserable. So his training was truly going to destroy everything he was. It wasn't a test of pain, it was a test of death.  
_You have lost everything, Kato,_ the spirit continued. _You have accepted all of this because you knew that in the end, you would still have your mind, your identity. But if I gave you the ultimate price, and asked for your mind, would you give it up? Would you give up the only thing that truly makes you who you are? COULD you ever do that?_  
Kato realized that he didn't know. If the spirit asked him for his mind, he did not know if he would, did not know if he COULD, accept such a thing.  
He heard the spirit laughing within his mind. _I will have your mind, Kato, know that I will possess it..._  
Kato slowly felt the spirit recede, and fade away.

Suddenly he was out of the void and back in the world around him. Kato suddenly realized that he still possessed his eyes, ears, arms, and legs. He patted his arms, stood up, listened, and looked around, unable to believe that he had them all back again.  
Then he suddenly realized something else: he was much stronger than he had been before coming to Mu. His power had increased exponentially.  
_I've done it,_ Kato knew. _I've completed the final training._  
He also felt wiser, as he now understood the meaning of the test of pain. Everything that had been "taken" from him, he had previously taken for granted... Especially his mind. He still did not know if he would give up his mind, if he ever had to.  
Now that his training was complete, it was time to go back to the old master.

Kato returned to the throne room, where the master waited. Bowing to the master respectfully, he said, "Master, I have completed the training of Mu."  
The master smiled, and to Kato's surprise there were tears in the old man's eyes. "Well done, Kato," he said sincerely, as he noticed Kato's new level of power. "Even I was not certain that you would pass the test of pain, Kato, especially since you are so young. You are now the youngest warrior in the history of our country to ever complete Mu training."  
He sighed as if in relief. "It is good that you have passed the training, because if you had not, all would have been lost."  
"What do you mean, Master?" asked Kato.  
"I will explain in a moment," the master replied. "First, I must do as I have been instructed to by the emperor, before he disappeared."  
The old man recited the order of Emperor Poo. "'When Kato completes the training of Mu, he is to know his true heritage,' the emperor ordered me. And so now you will know who you truly are... Prince Kato."  
Kato's jaw dropped in shock. "What... What do you mean?" he asked.  
The master smiled. "You are, in truth, the son of Emperor Poo," he explained. "This makes you the Crown Prince of Dalaam."  
Kato could not believe this. It was a preposterous notion. But then, through his wisdom, he came to understand that it was true. It was why the emperor had shown him so much kindness, and why he had looked at Kato with a father's love sometimes, when he thought Kato wasn't watching. He knew in his heart that the old master was speaking the truth.  
"Why was this hidden from me?" he asked. "Why was I raised to be a bodyguard, if in fact I am the prince?"  
The old master sighed. "Before you were born, your father, Emperor Poo, saw great danger for his future son during one of his meditations. In order to protect you from this danger, he decreed that no one, even yourself, was to know anything about who you really are. The only people who know the truth are the emperor and myself, and now you know as well."  
"So what must I do now?" Kato asked.  
"We still must not let anyone else know who you really are, Kato," the old master cautioned him. "Last night, a great evil became active, and its forces are already affecting this world. If they know who you are, you will be targeted by them. That cannot happen."  
He looked at Kato. "But also, last night, destiny has been set in motion," he continued. "I have seen all of this during my meditations. Destiny has chosen a young man named Zain to be the leader of a group of eight people, whose purpose is to destroy the enemy and deliver this world from evil. I have also seen, Kato, that you are one of the eight."  
Kato stared at the master, puzzled. "I am?"  
"Yes," the master replied. "You are one of four young men who will oppose the new evil. If you had not completed Mu training, then you would not have been strong enough to fulfill your destiny, and all would have been lost. As it is now, however, you WERE able to complete the training, and so you are ready to face your destiny."  
"Then what must I do, Master?" asked Kato.  
"You must find Zain, the leader of the Chosen Eight," the master answered. "To do this, you must go to a place called Troisemburg, in a far-off country. Zain will eventually reach this Troisemburg; he has to, because he cannot continue his journey otherwise. You must wait in Troisemburg, and when Zain arrives there, you must join him and lend him your strength."  
"I understand," said Kato. "But how will I know Zain when he arrives? I don't know what he looks like."  
"You will know him when you see him," the old master replied. "You must help Zain, Kato. He will need all the help he can get. Destiny has an iron grip on him; not only must he lead the Chosen Eight in fighting the new evil, he must also protect someone from the grasp of that evil."  
Kato nodded. "If he has such a colossal responsibility, then he cannot do it alone," he said.  
"You are correct, Prince Kato," the master said with a smile.  
The old master approached the throne, and lifted the seat off of it; there was a hidden compartment underneath. "I will now give you the equipment of Emperor Poo, to help you in your quest," he said.  
He lifted out a regal cloak. It was not very ornate, but it brimmed with hidden majesty. He gave the cloak to Kato. "This is the Cloak of Kings, Prince Kato," the master said. "It will protect you from harm."  
Kato donned the cloak; strangely enough, it fit him well, even though he was only a boy.  
The old master lifted out a shining diadem, and gave it to Kato. "This is the Diadem of Kings, Prince Kato," he said. "It will serve you well as head protection, and it is also the crown of Dalaam."  
Kato placed the diadem on his head, surprised that it fit him.  
The master brought a sturdy-looking and ornate arm guard from the compartment, and gave it to Kato. "This is the Bracer of Kings, Prince Kato," he said. "It will protect your arm, and give you strength."  
Kato put on the bracer, still wondering how all of these fit him so well.  
Finally, the master lifted out, with reverence, an ancient sword. It was a katana, and it rested in a leather sheath. Just by looking at it, Kato knew that the sword possessed great power. "This is the Sword of Kings, Prince Kato," the master said. "It is your weapon against the new evil. It is the counterpart to another of our ancient treasures, the Shining Wind Sword. The Sword of Kings shines with the power of the Earth, Prince Kato; it is a formidable weapon indeed. You must only use this for the right reasons."  
"I promise that I will," Kato vowed, respectfully accepting the sword from the master. Holding it in his hands, he felt much stronger.  
The old master placed the seat back on the throne. "Now you must go and wait for Zain to arrive," he said. "I have done all that I can for you, Prince Kato. Now you must go and fend for yourself. I only have one more thing for you: When you have mastered the power of teleportation, you must return to Dalaam, with Zain and your other companions."  
"Very well," said Kato. "Once I learn the power of teleportation, I will return. I promise you that."  
The old man smiled. "Then goodbye, Prince Kato," he said, beginning to concentrate. "You have made me, and your father, very proud." He placed a finger on Kato's forehead. "Teleport Beta."  
Suddenly Kato felt disoriented, and the world around him slipped away.

**_And so begins Kato's part in the story..._**


	7. Earthbound 202X Prologue Part 7

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Prologue Part 7**

In the city of Ellay, in the country of America... In a back alley of the slums...

It is the morning after the fateful events that took place in the first part of the prologue.

"You'd better get out of here now," said the Gang Member.  
"Yeah," another Gang Member agreed. "We wouldn't want to have to mess up that pretty face of yours."  
Mila Aisengarde smirked. "Unless you two get your own butts out of this area," she retorted, "you're the ones whose faces will get messed up."  
This caused the Gang Members to laugh. "Don't say we didn't warn you."  
The first one dashed forward and attacked Mila, who easily sidestepped him and knocked him out with a clothesline.  
The other one stared in disbelief. "How... How did you do that? Y-You're a girl!"  
Mila shrugged. "And that has something to do with my fighting ability because...?" she replied sarcastically.  
"I won't take this humiliation!" the second Gang Member snarled.  
She glared at him. "You won't find anything in this area except for starving children. There's nothing for you here. Why do you people keep trying to take over here?"  
"Because," the Gang Member replied, "we, the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang, are going to own every part of this city! And there's no way that we're going to let some stupid girl get in our way!"  
With this, he attacked her, throwing a punch at Mila's face. With little effort, she caught his fist with one hand and delivered a forceful punch to HIS face. The Gang Member was knocked backwards, falling unconscious to the ground.  
Mila turned from the unconscious Gang Members and faced the three younger children who had come with her. There were many more children back at Home Base, but these three almost always accompanied Mila when she went to scout the area. "It's okay now, I beat them," she said.  
One of the children, a small 10-year-old boy named Brian, came up to her. "You're so cool, Mila!" he said in admiration. "You beat those mean guys like they were nothing! I sure wish I was as tough as you."  
Mila smiled, running a hand through her blond hair. "Well, I've been street fighting since I was younger than you are," she said. "When you're older, I'm sure you'll be a lot tougher too."  
"You really think so?" he asked enthusiastically.  
She nodded. "You have a lot of potential, Brian," she replied, smiling at him. "You'll turn out alright." Mila looked over at the unconscious Gang Members. "Now, all of you help me get these two out of our territory. If they wake up before we get them out, just tell me, and I'll punch them out again."

With the three children's help, Mila removed the two intruders from their territory, which they called the West End, and dumped them back in the Neo-Bla-Bla-controlled area where they belonged. Fortunately, the two Gang Members did not wake up before this... for their own sakes.  
After they were done, they retreated to the West End, and returned to the place where all the children lived, which they affectionately called Home Base. Home Base was an old parking garage; like almost everything else in Ellay, it was abandoned. They lived there because it was large enough to hold all the children, and it was easy to guard.  
Upon their arrival, Mila greeted the gate guards, two teenagers like herself. They waved at her and allowed the group through.  
Once inside, two of the children left to find their friends, but Brian stayed with her. "What're you gonna do now, Mila?" he asked her.  
She looked outside; it was beginning to get dark. "I'm feeling pretty tired," she replied. "I think I'll get some sleep for once?"  
Brian smiled. "Are you sure the others can handle things without you?" he said, being funny.  
Mila sighed, fatigued. "I don't know," she answered with a joking smile, "but they're going to have to try."  
The boy nodded. "Okay, Mila. I'll keep practicing my fighting skills, so I can get strong like you." He ran off to find a punching bag.  
After he was gone, Mila went up to one of the higher levels of the parking garage, where she slept. Along the way, she thought of Brian. He idolized her, and she was very fond of him; he was like a younger brother to her.  
On the 7th level, where everyone slept, Mila found her sleeping bag where she had left it. She crawled into it and was soon asleep.

More than 30 years ago, long before the war against Giygas, the city of Ellay had been one of the largest in the country; it bordered the ocean and had a harbor. But then, after the war against Giygas, over a period of ten years, it slowly began to fade away, as more and more businesses moved to the popular, growing Merrysville area. Many people began to believe that Ellay was not "strategically located," as it lay right near a swamp, and many people were also still afraid of the mysterious Mt. Itoi. People moved out of Ellay, and headed for Merrysville or Reindeer. Eventually, even the people of Youngtown moved out because of the swamp, leaving a ghost town.  
In the present day, in 202X, the only businesses and people left in Ellay were in the small part of town designated as "the South End." Ironically, the South End was closest to the swamp that had driven so many people away in the first place. The rest of the city, the North, West, and East Ends were all but abandoned... Except, of course, for the homeless people, who had nowhere to go.  
Eventually, a group of homeless teenagers banded together and set up Home Base in an abandoned parking garage, and created a home for all of the orphaned, homeless children left behind in the abandoned parts of the city. Back then, Mila had been one of these children, left behind with no food and no home. After she grew old enough, she became one of the caretakers of Home Base and the children there.  
All of the teenagers and older children at Home Base had a job, in order to keep up and protect their home. Mila was a Defender of Home Base; she helped protect Home Base from the advances of the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang. The gang had surfaced five years ago; through violent and aggressive campaigns, they had taken over the abandoned North End and East End of Ellay. They avoided the South End, because the police would stop them, and so far they could not take the West End, because the Defenders of Home Base fought against them. The leader of the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang was a shady, mysterious character known only as Dangerous Tom.  
So far, the people of Home Base had done a good job of protecting their territory. However, the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang was becoming more and more violent, and they were beginning to try different methods. Some people had begun to think that it was only a matter of time before the gang got past the Defenders and took over Home Base.

When Mila woke up, it was dark outside, and the parking garage's lights had been turned on. Most of the children were gone.  
As Mila got up and looked around, she heard someone calling her. "Mila!"  
It was Brian. When he reached her, he handed her a loaf of bread. "Quincy came back tonight," he told her. "He brought food for us. Most of the kids were grabbing everything like crazy, and I thought you were still sleeping, so I took this for you."  
Mila smiled at him. "Thank you, Brian," she said gratefully. "I forgot Quincy was coming today." Quincy was a Provider; the Providers lived and worked in the South End, where there were still businesses and stores. Their job was to earn money and provide Home Base with food.  
She took a piece of bread and started eating it. As she ate, Brian asked, "Hey Mila, could we go to the old lookout tower tonight?"  
Mila swallowed her food. "Why?" she asked.  
"I want to look through the telescope," Brian replied. "You can see forever when you look through it."  
"But I just took you to the lookout tower last week," said Mila. "I don't know why you like that old place so much."  
Brian put on his most pathetic look, one that reminded Mila of a sad puppy. "Please?" he asked, drawing the word out.  
Mila sighed. "Oh, all right."

They left Home Base and headed west for the path that led to the old lookout tower. Along the way, they went past a few Defenders who were standing watch, and Mila stopped to say hi to them.  
Finally they reached the path, which was on the very edge of town. The lookout tower was situated on the coast northwest of Ellay, and people had to traverse a large field to get there.  
Out in the field, away from town, it was very dark and quiet. The only light came from the moon overhead. Mila looked up; she could see the stars much more clearly out here, and she enjoyed looking at them. "I never get over how quiet it is out here," she said.  
Brian nodded. "It's like it's more peaceful," he said. "There's no noise, and the Neo-Bla-Bla guys don't come out here."  
"Yeah," Mila agreed. "For once, we don't have to worry about fighting them."

As they walked along the path, Mila suddenly began to sense that something was wrong. It was as if a sixth sense were trying to warn her of something, but she couldn't make out what it was.  
Suddenly she remembered something, and she began to feel very foolish for coming out here. She turned to Brian; she had to tell him about this immediately.  
"Brian," she said, "I was in a store in the South End two days ago, and they had a TV set with the news on. The reporter said that animals in the Spookane area were starting to go crazy, just like what's happening in Hawkland right now."  
Brian's eyes widened. "You mean, the Madness?" he asked, suddenly sounding afraid.  
She nodded. "That's what they called it," she said.  
"You... You think that maybe it could have spread up here?" Brian said, his voice trembling.  
"I don't know," Mila replied, starting to feel scared herself. "But I'm starting to think that this was a very bad idea."  
Just then, the lookout tower came into view, and Brian forgot about the Madness. "There it is!" he cried, taking off running towards it.  
"Brian, wait!" Mila called. She ran after him.

The lookout tower was abandoned in the present day, just like the northern part of town. The main door was busted in, so it was easy to enter the tower. Mila followed Brian inside.  
The room inside was coated with grime, showing the signs of disuse. Cobwebs stretched all over, and spiders and various insects scuttled around. There was an old elevator in one wall, but it had no power and had not been used for years.  
Mila looked over to the door in the other wall, which hung open on one hinge. She could already hear Brian running up the old maintenance staircase inside. "Brian!" she called.  
With a sigh, she went over, watching her step, and entered the doorway. If possible, the stairwell was even dirtier than the other room. Not even bothering to try and hold the filthy railing, Mila climbed the stairs to the top floor.

The top of the tower was not quite as dirty as the inside was, because it was washed off regularly by the rain. To the north, the ocean stretched toward the horizon, illuminated by the soft light of the moon. Mila looked around and found Brian peering through one of the telescopes.  
She walked over to him. "Brian, we probably shouldn't be here," she admonished him. "If it's true that the Madness is affecting animals in this country, then we could be in a lot of danger right now."  
"I know," Brian agreed, not looking away from the telescope. "I'm sorry, Mila. I just like looking out the telescope so much... You can look through it as far as you can see, and all you'll see is the blue ocean."  
He took his eye away from the telescope and looked at Mila. "I want to go across the ocean someday," he said. "I want to go to another country, and see the other side of the ocean."  
Mila then realized why Brian liked to come to the old tower so much. He liked to look across the ocean, to try and see the land on the other side.  
Despite the potential danger of the place they were in, she smiled. "You have a strong will, Brian," she said. "If you really want to, I'm sure you'll make it to the other side of the ocean someday."  
"You really think so?" Brian asked.  
"I know so," Mila replied. "You can do anything, if you want to do it enough."  
Brian grinned at her. "Thanks, Mila," he said gratefully.  
She reached out and ruffled his hair. "Now let's go back home. I don't think it's a good idea to stay out here."  
He nodded, and they left the tower.

Out in the field, on the way back to Ellay, Mila had the feeling that something was wrong again. The feeling came back stronger than before, so strong that she stopped moving.  
"Brian, something's not right," she said, feeling afraid.  
Brian stopped as well. "Do you think it's... a Madness creature?" he asked.  
"I don't know," Mila answered. "I just have the feeling... that something is terribly wrong. I don't know what it is... and that frightens me all the more."  
Trembling, Brian looked across the field, to where the path led. "Maybe we should try running back to town," he suggested.  
Mila was about to reply when something suddenly burst out from the ground in front of her. It faced her and snarled.  
"It's... It's a mole!" Brian cried.  
The mole was larger than a regular mole, and much more dangerous. As it slowly advanced toward Mila, she saw an evil red glint in its eyes. She could practically feel its malicious intent to harm her.  
Mila's terror rose as she realized that this was a creature of the Madness.  
As she backed away from the mole, she looked over at Brian. He was frozen in place, not daring to even move. Seeing his fear, Mila's own fear changed to resolve. She had to protect Brian from this creature.  
With her newfound resolve, Mila assumed her fighting stance. "You want a piece of me?" she demanded of the mole. "Come and get it!"  
In response to her challenge, the mole snarled and dashed forward, slashing at her with its sharp nails. Mila jumped out of the way, leading the mole away from Brian. She darted forward and landed a punch on the mole's snout.  
Thoroughly enraged, the mole reacted quickly, leaping forward and clawing at Mila. Not expecting such quickness, Mila was caught by surprise. She threw up her arms to protect herself, and the mole's claws slashed three long cuts in her right arm. She cried out in pain.  
"Mila!" Brian cried, concerned for her. The mole heard him and turned around, moving to attack him.  
Disregarding her injury, Mila chased after it, trying to get it to leave Brian alone. "No!"  
She reached the mole and dealt it a powerful kick. The mole flew about five feet away and landed with a thud.  
It had the desired effect. Once it got back on its feet, the mole snarled hatefully at Mila and dashed forward to attack her. But she was ready for it this time; she leapt out of the mole's way and kicked it again as hard as she could.  
Mila recovered quickly from her attack and prepared to launch another, but there was no need. The mole became tame, and she saw the Madness disappear from its eyes. After looking around in confusion, the mole burrowed into the ground and was gone from sight.  
Brian came over to her, concerned about her wound. "Mila, are you okay?" he asked.  
"I'll be fine," she answered. She tore one of the sleeves off of her blue T-shirt and used it to bind the wound. "I guess this proves that there are Madness creatures around here."  
Brian nodded in agreement, still clearly afraid. "What if another one comes?" he asked.  
"Let's get back home as fast as possible, before that happens," Mila said.

Finally they made it back to the West End. Fortunately, they did not encounter any more creatures of the Madness.  
"When we get back to Home Base I'm going straight to bed," Brian commented as they headed back for Home Base.  
Mila nodded, not really paying attention. She was more concerned with the fact that she hadn't seen any Defenders yet. _This is strange,_ she thought. _There should be Defenders here, guarding our territory. Where are they?_  
Her unspoken questions were answered when they finally made it back to Home Base... And the answers horrified her.  
Instead of the gate guards that had been there when Mila and Brian left, there were Neo-Bla-Bla Gang Members. The parking garage was surrounded by Gang Members, all clad in their crimson gang colors.  
Mila and Brian stared open-mouthed at the sight, unable to speak. Mila was unable to fathom how this could have happened.  
Suddenly someone grabbed both of them by the back of their shirts and hauled them backward into the alley they had come out of. Reflexively, Mila whirled around and prepared to fight.  
Two Defenders, Nick and Jenna, stood before them; Mila recognized them as two of the ones she had seen on the way to the lookout tower. "Don't stand out there like that!" Nick admonished them. "If they see you, they'll attack you."  
"Why did this happen?" Mila demanded. "HOW did this happen?"  
"It was shortly after you and Brian left," Jenna explained. "The Neo-Bla-Blas suddenly stormed Home Base. We came back from our round, and they had taken over."  
"I'm sure the Defenders there fought back," Nick said, "but there must have been too many gang members for them to fight off."  
Brian sat there, speechless. Mila looked down. "What about the children?" she asked. "They weren't hurt, were they?"  
"The Neo-Bla-Blas didn't hurt them," Nick answered. "They kicked them out into the street with no food, but they didn't hurt them."  
Mila sighed in relief; at the very least, the children hadn't been hurt. "Is there any way we can retake Home Base?" she asked.  
Nick shook his head. "There are too many of them," he said. "The three of us can't take them all on."  
For the first time, Brian spoke. "There's four of us!"  
"The FOUR of us can't take them all on," Nick corrected, looking at Brian. "The parking garage is full of them, Mila. Not even your great fighting skill would be enough. The only reason we waited here this long is because we knew you were still out there somewhere, and we waited here for you to come back."  
Jenna sighed despairingly. "This was inevitable," she said. "Ever since that horrible gang started gaining power, this was inevitable. Now they control the West End, too."  
Mila closed her eyes, accepting the truth. "So then... What are we going to do?"  
"Well," Nick said, "when we came back and found out what happened, we made a plan. Another Defender, Carl, was with us when we came back. We sent him down to the South End to tell the Providers what happened, since they live down there."  
"Now that we've found you two," Jenna continued, "we have to go to the South End and meet up with Carl and the Providers. Once we do, we'll detail our next part of the plan."  
"Which is what?" Brian asked, including himself in the discussion.  
"The children are out in the street, with nothing to eat and nowhere to go," said Jenna. "We still have a responsibility to them, Mila."  
"Since the Providers live in the South End," explained Nick, "they can keep at least some of the children under their roofs. Once we figure out a plan for it, we have to search the West End for children and bring them to the Providers' places, where they can stay for a while until we find ourselves a new Home Base... If we can find one, that is."  
Mila nodded in approval; given the current circumstances, it seemed like a good plan. "Okay then," she said. "Let's get going, so we can get a start on this plan."  
"Right," Nick agreed. "The sooner we start, the better. But be careful; there are a lot of gang members prowling the streets."  
"I know," Mila said. "But that's not the worst of it; on the way back from the old lookout tower, Brian and I were attacked by an animal that was affected by the Madness." She showed them her wounded arm.  
Jenna's eyes widened. "You mean like what that reporter said on the news a few days ago? The Madness from Hawkland?"  
Mila nodded. "It's starting to affect the animals in this country, too," she said.  
"Then we'll definitely have to be careful," said Nick.

As they walked to the South End, Mila thought about the recent events. Some people had said that it was only a matter of time before the gang took over their home, but Mila had never really believed that. Now that it had truly happened, she felt lost. Home Base had been her home for many years; she had grown up there, and now it was lost to her. Her home was gone.  
She looked over at Brian. Other than the few things he had said during their conversation earlier, he was silent. Mila could only imagine what he was going through; Home Base had been his home as well.  
_It's strange how things change so quickly,_ she thought. Not even one day ago she had been confidently defeating Gang Members and listening to Brian's dreams for the future, and now she had lost her home, and was forced to sneak around her own territory.  
She hated the gang. Only the coldest of people could throw out children to starve to death. It didn't matter that the gang had not physically hurt them; they had done something just as wrong. Without food, the children would not survive.  
As she and the others went to carry out their plan, Mila made a solemn vow. Someday, somehow, she would bring down the gang. No matter how long it took, or how hard it would be, she would bring it down. And once she had accomplished that, she could make the remains of Ellay a better place for children.

What she did not realize was that her destiny awaited her, and that she would soon help protect not only the children of Ellay, but the children of the entire world... 

**_And so begins Mila Aisengarde's part in the story..._**


	8. Earthbound 202X Prologue Part 8

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Prologue Part 8**

In the Snow Wood Boarding School, in Winters... In a history class, on a particularly snowy day...

It is the morning after the fateful events that took place in the first part of the prologue.

The professor turned from the chalkboard to face the class. "Now, can anyone tell me the answer to number 17?" he asked. His suit was covered with chalk dust and his hands had turned white.  
Kyla Quinn raised her hand. The professor looked at her and sighed. "Class, Kyla has answered the last six questions, without input from anyone else. Does anyone else know the answer to number 17?"  
No one else offered an answer. With a dejected sigh, the professor turned to Kyla. "All right then, Kyla. Since you're the only student here who has actually done their work, please give your answer."  
"Well, Professor Tony," Kyla said, "the fourth emperor of Dalaam was Emperor Gao. He is the only emperor who tried to tried to turn Dalaam into a militant nation. But because Dalaam is a tiny mountain country with a small population and few weapons, he failed miserably and was crushed by the surrounding countries. He took his own life out of embarrassment, and his oldest son, Jang, became Emperor."  
Professor Tony smiled at her. "Excellent answer, Kyla," he said. "If only everyone else in here were as studious as you are." He turned to the rest of the class. "Class is dismissed for today. If anyone else comes into this class unprepared again, he or she will receive demerits."  
Grumbling, the students got up and left the room. After they were gone, Kyla went over to Professor Tony. "I'm sorry no one is ever prepared for class, Professor Tony," she said.  
"Why are you apologizing for them, Kyla?" Tony asked. "It's not your fault, it's theirs."  
Kyla looked down. "I was only trying to make you feel better..."  
Tony smiled. "Well, it worked. Thanks."  
He sighed, trying to brush the chalk dust off of his hands. "I HAVE been feeling down lately," he said. "No one seems to care about education anymore these days. You've seen how they act now. Not one of them actually prepares for class, and when they come in they sit there like a bunch of slack-jawed idiots. Back when I attended this school thirty years ago, everyone was like you, Kyla: studious and concerned with their education. Now, students like you have become the exception to the rule."  
Kyla knew what he was talking about. She was disgusted herself with the behavior of her peers. Not only that, but fewer and fewer students attended Snow Wood each year, and as a result the school's budget was beginning to drop.  
She smiled. "If Guy were still here, you'd have TWO exceptions to the rule, Professor Tony."  
He laughed. "Yeah, you're right. I still don't know why his father took him out of here two years ago. Have you heard from him?"  
Sadly, Kyla shook her head. "No, I haven't heard anything from him. I've written letters to him every month, but I never get any answers." She sighed sadly. "Why won't he answer me?"  
"I don't think it's his fault," Tony said. "That father of his, Orange Kid or whatever he calls himself now, has always been hard on him. He probably has people from that corporation of his intercept your mail and make sure that Guy never gets it. Thirty years ago he was a snob, and he hasn't changed much." He eyed Kyla's long, bright red hair. "Plus, if Guy's father knows you're Apple Kid's daughter, he'd definitely keep Guy from talking to you."  
She nodded. "I guess you're right, Professor Tony." With a sigh, she turned to leave the room. "I think I'll go and have some lunch now at the cafeteria."  
"Mind if I come too?" Tony asked. "I haven't eaten anything today, and I'm starving."  
Kyla turned back to him and smiled. "I don't mind. Of course you can come."  
"Okay then," said Tony. "Just let me wash all of this blasted chalk dust off my hands first."

At the water fountain, Tony finally succeeded in cleaning his hands.  
Kyla posed a question she had been wondering about. "Why do we still HAVE chalkboards here, Professor Tony? Why don't we have those computer-screen boards?"  
"It's Headmaster Maxwell Labs," Tony replied, drying his hands on the clean parts of his suit jacket. "He has a special fondness for chalkboards, so we still have them here. Besides, we can't afford to replace them at this point; our budget isn't high enough."  
"Oh," said Kyla. She changed the subject, to one she had been wondering about. "Is it true what they said on the news, that the Madness that was affecting animals in Hawkland is spreading here too?"  
"Well, Kyla," Tony answered, "it's not spreading here. It's already here."  
"It is?" said Kyla, startled.  
Tony nodded. "I talked to some people in the general store outside the gate recently, and they said that animals in the area have been randomly attacking people without provocation. Also, the people saw a red glint in their eyes, which is a sure sign that they're creatures of the Madness."  
Kyla was overcome by a sense of dread as they started walking to the cafeteria. "I'm glad we have a wall around the school, then."  
"Me, too," Tony agreed.  
Suddenly the hall intercom sounded, and the voice of Headmaster Maxwell Labs rang out from every speaker in the school. "May I have your attention, please? Would Kyla Quinn please come to my office immediately?" Kyla started in surprise.  
Tony looked at her, surprised as well. "What did you do?" he asked.  
Kyla shook her head, not knowing what was happening. "I don't know," she said. "I didn't do anything wrong. You know I'd never do anything wrong."  
"Yeah, I know. Still, he called for you, so you'd better get down to his office now."  
She nodded and turned around, heading for the headmaster's office. Tony followed her.

Nervously, Kyla knocked on the office door. "Come in," the headmaster said.  
She opened the door and entered the office. Headmaster Maxwell Labs sat behind his desk. Thirty years ago, he had been a professor at Snow Wood; when the previous headmaster had retired, Professor Labs had been chosen to replace him. He had grey hair and wrinkles now, but he had the same mischievous glint in his eye that he had always had. "You... Y-You wanted to see me, sir?" Kyla asked.  
The headmaster nodded. "You have a couple of visitors, Kyla," he said. He pointed to two men who sat across from him; Kyla hadn't even seen them.  
One of the men was slightly plump, and dressed in shoddy old clothes. He wore a cap on his head that was shaped like the top of an apple. He took the cap off as he looked at Kyla, exposing his wild bright red hair. "Hi, Kyla," he said.  
Kyla smiled as she saw him. "Hi, Dad."  
Indeed, it was none other than Apple Man, the unsung genius who had helped the four heroes battle Giygas thirty years ago. His wife, Kyla's mother, had died giving birth to Kyla. Although he had tried his best to raise his daughter by himself, Apple Man had eventually seen that he was unfit to be a father, and so he had given Kyla her mother's maiden name and sent her off to Snow Wood. However, he came to visit her regularly, although he usually didn't come to the headmaster's office to do it.  
Tony came into the office behind her, and he saw the second person. The second man had blond hair, wore glasses, and his clothing was battered as if he had just been through a fight. Tony grinned upon seeing him. "Jeff!"  
Jeff Andonuts smiled upon seeing his old friend. "Hi Tony, I didn't expect to see you."  
"I certainly didn't expect to see YOU!" Tony replied. "The way you holed yourself up in your father's old lab, I didn't think you were ever going to come out! You never even answered the phone!"  
Jeff sheepishly looked at the floor. "Sorry, Tony," he apologized. "Apple Man and I have been hard at work, deciphering and interpreting prophecies."  
Tony folded his arms. "Well, if Apple Man could find time to periodically visit his daughter, I think you could have found time to visit an old friend."  
With a grin, Jeff shrugged. "What can I say? I've become a recluse like my old man was."  
Tony shook his head and sighed. "You're hopeless. Still, it's good to see you again."  
"Same here," Jeff replied with a smile.  
Ignoring Jeff and Tony's reunion, Kyla spoke with her father. "So, why did you come to the headmaster's office just to visit me?" she asked.  
Apple Man shifted uncomfortably. "Well, Kyla," he said, "I'm really not here to visit."  
Kyla blinked, feeling hurt by his words. "You mean, you didn't come here to see me...?"  
"No, that's not it at all!" Apple Man quickly corrected, realizing his mistake. "What I meant was that I didn't come here JUST to visit. I came to take you out of here."  
Shocked, Kyla stared at him. "What?"  
Headmaster Maxwell Labs nodded. "He came to withdraw you from Snow Wood, Kyla," he verified.  
"But what about my education?" Kyla asked. "How will I graduate if I have to leave?"  
Jeff stopped talking with Tony and turned to her. "Well... We need your help at the lab, Kyla," he said.  
Confused, Kyla looked from Jeff to her father. "What do you mean? I don't understand."  
Tony, standing by the door, nodded in agreement. "I don't understand either, Jeff. Just what are you up to?"  
Apple Man answered, or tried to. "Well... You see..." he said falteringly, "...Certain things have started to happen, and..."  
"What things, Dad?" Kyla asked, feeling more confused. She knew her father was rather shy and had trouble speaking with other people, but she had to understand what was going on.  
Jeff finished for him. "Well, you know the Madness that's affecting animals?" he asked.  
Tony nodded. "It's spread to Winters also."  
"I know," Jeff agreed. "But... Doesn't the Madness... resemble something that's happened before, about 30 years ago?"  
Kyla didn't understand, but Tony did. He stepped backward in shock. "No! It can't be! Not... Giygas?"  
Kyla's eyes widened. "Giygas?" she exclaimed.  
"No, it's not Giygas," Jeff said. "Giygas is destroyed. But it's someone LIKE Giygas. Something like... his successor, or replacement."  
She took this in. "So, that means we'll be attacked by aliens again soon, just like the war 30 years ago?"  
"No, Kyla," Apple Man answered. "We've already been attacked by aliens. Summers was just attacked today... And a number of people have just... vanished."  
Kyla was even more surprised. She turned to Jeff. "Then you'll stop them again, right, Jeff? Just like you and the others did 30 years ago?"  
Sadly, Jeff shook his head. "I can't fight this battle, Kyla. Maybe if the others were here, the four of us could do something. But Poo disappeared three years ago, and Ness and Paula are..."  
He cut off, and adjusted his glasses. "No, I'm the only one left," Jeff continued. "But all isn't lost just yet. Kyla, your father and I have studied the Apple of Enlightenment, trying to decipher its prophecies, and we finally discovered something in them."  
Kyla's father continued for Jeff. "The Chosen Eight," Apple Man said. "They are the world's last hope."  
Jeff nodded in agreement. "Last night," he said, "a meteor fell to earth near Primera, Hawkland. I traveled there in the Phase Distorter III, and as I suspected, I met the young man who is destined to be the leader of the Chosen Eight. I set him on the path to what he must do." Pausing for a moment, he took off his glasses and started wiping them with a cloth. "I was originally going to go with him and help him, but certain... events forced me to rethink my decision. So instead of going with him, I have to analyze several new enemies that have appeared, and I have to work on some projects that are still unfinished. Also, I still want to help the Chosen Eight in some way, so I need to repair some of the old machines for them, because they'll probably need them."  
"The old machines?" Kyla asked.  
"Yeah," Apple Man replied. "We have to repair all of the old inventions we used 30 years ago so that the new heroes can use them."  
"But why do they need to be repaired?" Tony asked.  
"Well, we kind of... let them fall into disuse," Apple Man answered. "And Jeff was working on rebuilding broken things like the Sky Runner, but he hasn't finished it yet. Most of our time has been spent trying to decipher the Apple of Enlightenment, and we didn't really have time for anything else."  
Jeff put his glasses back on. "That's why we need you, Kyla," he said. "You're extremely smart, maybe even smarter than your father or myself. With your help, we can get most of the equipment back in working order, and you'd also be a big help with analysis."  
Kyla nodded, finally understanding. "So that's why you want to take me out of Snow Wood."  
Apple Man nodded. "But we'll understand if you don't want to go," he added. "I know your education is very important to you, and if you really want to stay, then I understand."  
Kyla smiled. "Dad, of course I'll come and help you. I'm really flattered that you think I'm good enough to help you."  
"But you ARE good enough," Apple Man told her. "You'll go far; much farther than I did, that's for sure."  
This caused her smile to widen. "Thanks, Dad," she said.  
"Well, thanks for coming to help us, Kyla," Apple Man said. "I know I couldn't even raise you, so I don't have any right to ask anything of you..."  
She shook her head. "Don't say that, Dad," she told him. "You did what you thought was best for me, and I appreciate it."  
Kyla turned to the headmaster, who hadn't said anything for quite a while. "I guess I'll have to withdraw from Snow Wood, Headmaster Labs," she said.  
Without a word, the headmaster handed her something. Kyla picked it up and looked at it. "What's this?" she asked.  
Headmaster Labs grinned. "It's your diploma, Kyla."  
Her jaw dropped. "My... diploma? But how? I don't graduate for another two years!"  
"You mean you don't even know?" the headmaster asked, puzzled. "You've taken more extra classes than any other student at this school, including Jeff." He cast a glance at Jeff. "You've fulfilled all of your graduation requirements, Kyla. So you can leave and help your father and Jeff with a clean conscience."  
Kyla accepted the diploma, smiling. "Thank you, Headmaster Labs."  
"Don't mention it," Maxwell Labs replied. "Just take care of your father and Jeff, since they can't take care of themselves."  
Both Kyla and Tony laughed at this. Jeff folded his arms. "That's not funny," he said indignantly.

Kyla cleaned out her locker and gathered her things. She put on a parka over her school uniform, and placed her belongings into her old backpack.  
After she had finished getting ready, she left the school with her father and Jeff. The Phase Distorter III rested outside, near the main front door. It resembled one of the little-known people known as Mr. Saturn, since they were the ones who had built it.  
From what her father had told her once, Kyla knew that this Phase Distorter III was not the original, but a copy that the Mr. Saturns had built while Jeff and his three friends had been fighting against Giygas. The original Phase Distorter III had been lost, left behind in the Cave of the Past. The Mr. Saturns had given the copy to Jeff after he returned from the Cave of the Past, out of gratitude for what he had done for the world. Jeff and Kyla's father used it to travel, since it could send them anywhere in the world instantaneously.  
The three of them got inside, and Jeff took the controls. "Okay, then," he said, "it's time to go back to the lab." He powered the machine up, set their destination, and pressed a switch.  
In a flash of light, they were suddenly inside the Andonuts laboratory. Kyla got out and looked around; she had never been in the lab before, except for when she was a baby, and she couldn't remember anything.  
The lab was not as impressive as it once was. Broken machinery lay everywhere, and various devices were strewn all about. In one corner, Kyla saw a half-completed flying saucer-like machine. Near the wall was a silver tank with a black door on it; the door hung open on one hinge, and the machine was dented and beat up. Everything was covered with a layer of dust.  
"As you can see, Kyla," Jeff said, "this lab, and all of the machines in it, have seen better days."  
Kyla nodded. "We have a lot of work to do if we want to fix most of these."  
She picked up a small device, unable to discern its function. "What does this one do?" She pressed a button on it.  
Suddenly, a nearby pencil that had been lying on the floor disappeared. Kyla looked in disbelief at where it had been, wondering what had happened.  
Apple Man took the device. "This is the Pencil Eraser," he said. "I built it a long time ago. It erases anything shaped like a pencil."  
"It was a useful invention, too," Jeff added. "I know Ness used it a lot."  
Kyla looked at her father with respect; for all his flaws, Apple Man was a genius.  
"So," she said, "what should we do now?"  
"We should probably check out the old Stonehenge base," Jeff said. "If there are aliens here again, they might try to reactivate their old base of operations."  
"Stonehenge?" Kyla had read about that place in one of her classes. "I'd like to go over there and look at it."  
Apple Man, however, had doubts. "Is that really a good idea, though?" he asked them. "If any aliens are in there, it could be a really dangerous place."  
Jeff shrugged. "Well, normally we could just scan that area from here," he said, "but the scanning equipment is broken. Stonehenge was a major base for the aliens; if they're using it again, it's important for us to know that."  
He turned to Kyla. "If you want to go and check, then that's fine. But you shouldn't go out without some kind of weapon."  
Jeff walked over to a pile of discarded devices and rummaged around in it for a moment. Finally he found what he was looking for, and presented it to Kyla. "This is the Gaia Beam," he explained. "I built it thirty years ago, but it's still one of the most powerful weapons I have."  
"Are you sure you can give me that, if it's that important?" Kyla asked him.  
"Of course you can have it," Jeff replied. He patted the large guns he wore over his shoulders. "I actually haven't used that one for years. Not since I designed the Gaia Beam Version 3.0."  
"Thank you, then," Kyla said gratefully, accepting the weapon from him.  
"The Stonehenge base is north of here," her father said. "Be careful, Kyla. Not only might the aliens be there, but there are Madness creatures also."  
Kyla nodded. "I'll be careful, Dad."

She exited the lab into the snowy wilderness of southern Winters. The Andonuts lab was situated in the middle of nowhere, far from any kind of civilization. The closest place was Stonehenge.  
Kyla walked north, as her father had advised, trying to ignore the bitter cold.  
_Things certainly have changed quickly,_ she thought. She realized that she was hungry; she hadn't been able to have lunch at Snow Wood.  
She looked at the weapon Jeff had given her. It reminded her of Guy Orangere; he had always been interested in building weapons. She wondered if he could build something like this one.  
Then she saw it. Stonehenge rose in the distance, its stone structures tall and foreboding. It had looked impressive in a book, but the real thing put pictures to shame. Kyla wondered if the aliens had built this along with the base, or if it had been there before the aliens came.

Finally, Kyla reached the stone monument. She wondered how she would find out if there was anyone in the base; she certainly didn't want to go IN there. Although the Stonehenge base had been uninhabited for 30 years, it was still a strange, scary place.  
Suddenly she heard voices. By instinct, she quickly ducked behind one of the stone structures, where she wouldn't be seen.  
As she hid behind the stone, curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked out from behind to see what was happening.  
A strange gold-colored creature shaped somewhat like a star was talking to a man. There were also additional gold-colored star creatures nearby, but they did not speak. The man stood near a hole in the ground that presumably led to the Stonehenge base. Kyla's eyes widened as she realized that part of the right side of the man's face was a metal plate. She could see his right eye easily; it was a glowing red robot eye. She shuddered as she looked at it. The man's wild black hair waved in the wind, and he dressed in a black flowing trenchcoat. Kyla couldn't help feeling an strong aura of bitter evil from this man, and she shuddered again.  
The star-like creature spoke in a mechanical-sounding voice. "We have completed our search of the Stonehenge base, Lord Kaatz," it announced.  
The man raised his right hand, and Kyla saw that it was also a cybernetic replacement. "Did you find anything?" he asked. His deep voice carried a superior air, and hinted of malice.  
"The base is deserted, Lord Kaatz," the Starman Elite declared. "Some animals had moved in, but we terminated them."  
"Good," replied the man, who was evidently called Kaatz. "Then we should be able to set up here again at any time."  
"Exactly," the Starman Elite replied. "Once the master decides to do so, we are going to rebuild this place and resume operations."  
They both were silent for a moment. Then Kaatz spoke again. "What about the last of the four that defeated the Giygas? Somebody should do something about him; he is a potential threat."  
"It has been taken care of, Lord Kaatz," the Starman Elite assured him. "A Starman Junior X was dispatched to eliminate him."  
This caused Kaatz to become angry. "What? The master sent one of THOSE? Against one of the people that defeated the Giygas?"  
"It is true that this Earthling had a hand in the defeat of Giygas-12162203616-630," the Starman Elite admitted, "but he also lacks the gift for PSI. The master did not deem him a significant threat."  
Kaatz clenched his metal right fist, making a loud grinding noise. "'Not a significant threat?' He is one of the Chosen Four! Any one of them MUST be taken seriously! Believe me, I know this for a fact. I can assure you, the Starman Junior X is no more by now."  
He sighed in frustration. "I can't believe he would send a Starman Junior X. Those worthless things are nothing more than enhanced versions of the old Starman Junior model used by the Giygas thirty Earth orbits ago. Sometimes I wonder which is more dense: a Starman Junior X or one of those Abductor Mooks."  
"Well, Lord Kaatz," said the Starman Elite, "if the Starman Junior X did indeed fail, then the master will decide what to do next."  
Kaatz shrugged, grudgingly letting the matter go. "...Okay, whatever he says, I suppose. I guess he believes there are more important matters to attend to right now."  
"Exactly," said the Starman Elite. "Such as securing this base so that we can use it again."  
Kaatz nodded... And then he suddenly froze. After a pause, he said, "There's someone here."  
Surprised, Kyla ducked back behind the stone as Kaatz turned his head and stared at where she was hiding. Trembling, Kyla prayed that they wouldn't find her; she did not think she could fight these people.  
"That's impossible," the Starman Elite said. "We scanned the area when we arrived. There is no one here."  
"Maybe there wasn't anyone then," Kaatz said, "but there is now. I can feel it."  
_Please don't let them find me,_ Kyla prayed.  
"Lord Kaatz, we do not have time to search the area," the Starman Elite told him. "The ship will be here soon to transport us."  
Kyla froze in fear as she heard Kaatz say, "Just scan the area again."  
"As you wish," the Starman Elite replied. It brought out a small device and began to operate it. "Lord Kaatz, you should lock the base so that nothing else can get inside until we are ready."  
Kaatz nodded. "I'll take care of it. You keep scanning; I'm certain there's someone here."  
Kyla heard snow crunch as Kaatz walked over to the hole in the ground. She suddenly felt, rather than heard, an immense power build up. Then she heard Kaatz say, "Binding Pseal."  
A brilliant flash suddenly illuminated the area. "It's done," Kaatz announced. "Have you finished the scan yet?"  
"Unfortunately, no," the Starman Elite replied. "And there is no time to complete it. The ship's ETA is 15 seconds."  
Kaatz sighed. "Very well, then," he said. "Maybe I only felt an animal or something in the area. Let's just go back to the ship for now. Once we're back, we can report on the base's condition... To Master Giaguo."  
A few seconds later, Kyla was startled by a loud clap of thunder overhead, and there was another flash of light.

Nervously, Kyla peeked out from behind the stone again. Kaatz and his followers were gone. Kyla sighed in relief, thanking whatever luck had allowed her to remain undiscovered.  
She came out and walked over to the hole in the ground, looking at Kaatz's bootprints along the way. When she reached the hole, she was surprised to see a glowing mark inside, in the shape of a lowercase letter b.  
Curious, Kyla reached inside the hole... And her hand came up against a solid barrier.  
Her eyes widened. There wasn't anything physical to stop her hand, but it stopped just the same. She realized that this must be the "Binding Pseal" that Kaatz had used.  
Then Kyla realized that Kaatz and his minions had been talking about an attempt to kill "the last of the Chosen Four." She froze as she realized that they had been talking about Jeff.  
_I have to get back,_ she thought. _I have to tell Jeff and Dad about everything that's happened._  
She turned away from the hole and started walking back in the direction of the Andonuts lab.

And so Kyla traveled back to the lab, presently unaware of her destiny...

**_And so begins Kyla Quinn's part in the story..._**

Thus ends the prologue to Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight.  
In the next part of the story, the focus will finally return to Zain, who is beginning his journey in Primera, and the Chosen Eight will begin to come together at last.  
Can they defeat the new evil, and save Earth from its darkest hour? Only time will tell...  



	9. Earthbound 202X Part 9

Thirty years after the events of Earthbound, in the year A.D. 202X...

As the mysterious malady known as the Madness affects more and more animals throughout the world, a new alien threat is rising to replace the threat posed by Giygas 30 years ago. Unless something is done, the Earth will be cast into darkness for all eternity.

In the prologue, eight young men and women were introduced. It is their destiny to protect the world from the alien threat, but whether they can actually do so remains to be seen.  
Here is a quick recap of the eight chosen ones:  
**Zain Maximillian:** the reluctant yet dutiful leader.  
**Sasha Maybee:** the soft-spoken girl with a strange power to see the future.  
**Guy Orangere:** the highly-intelligent son of the owner of a major corporation, and an avid weapons designer.  
**Deckard Petersen:** the powerful fighter who found new meaning to his life and lost it in the same day.  
**Karen:** the formerly lonely girl who found friendship and searches for family.  
**Kato:** the Crown Prince of Dalaam, and the youngest warrior in history to complete Mu training.  
**Mila Aisengarde:** the tough-yet-caring girl who lost her home to a gang.  
**Kyla Quinn:** the genius who graduated the Snow Wood Boarding School early, and left to help her father and a legendary hero.

Now the story continues. The only way that these eight youths can succeed in their destiny is to find each other and combine their strength... For the battles ahead will be the hardest that this world has ever faced...

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 9: The Journey Begins**

After a while of walking, Zain entered the main part of his home town of Primera.  
He looked around. It seemed like a normal day; nothing was amiss. Yet from Zain's perspective, it wasn't normal anymore.  
He thought back to the events of last night. He vividly remembered finding the meteor, and meeting the hero Jeff Andonuts, and learning of the destiny that Zain now followed. He clearly remembered telling his mother goodbye, and leaving his home and family behind.  
Zain remembered it all as clearly as if he were still experiencing those events now. And yet, part of him still couldn't believe that they had actually happened... As if the whole thing were a dream that he would soon wake up from.  
Zain shook his head. There was no waking up from this. He had a solemn responsibility, and it was up to him to fulfill it.

He stopped at the corner drugstore and bought some cookies and cans of fruit juice. After all, he was on a journey now, and food was a necessary thing on a journey. He filled his backpack with supplies.  
Afterward, he sat on the curb in front of the store and slowly drank one of the juice cans. He thought again of the other seven people with whom he was supposed to do this; who they were, and how he would meet them. Jeff had said Zain would meet them eventually, but Zain still couldn't help wondering.  
As he drank his juice, a stray dog wandered up to him, coming right up to Zain's right side and sitting down. Noticing the dog, Zain turned his head to look at him.  
The dog sat there, watching him with big brown eyes. Zain's own green eyes stared back. The dog seemed to want something.  
_What do dogs want?_ Zain wondered. Then he realized, and felt like slapping himself for being so dumb.  
He reached into his backpack and brought out one of his cookies. "Here boy, you can have this." He held the cookie out to the dog, who promptly snatched it away and wolfed it down.  
After the dog swallowed the last bite of cookie, he smiled at Zain, his big tongue lolling out. (Thanks,) he said, starting to turn away.  
Zain's jaw dropped. "You... You can talk?" he asked, stupefied.  
The dog turned back to him. (You mean, you can understand what I'm saying?) he asked.  
With no idea what was happening, Zain could only nod, still staring in disbelief. The dog's mouth wasn't moving, but Zain could understand the words just the same.  
The dog blinked, apparently in disbelief as well. (Well, this is very strange,) he said.  
"You're telling me," Zain replied. _Am I going crazy?_ he wondered. He looked around. People were passing by, too busy to notice him. _At least no one else is looking, or they WOULD think I'm crazy._  
Suddenly the dog seemed to realize something. (Oh, I understand now,) he said. (You have... nice eyes. Well, it was fun talking to you, but I have to go and mark some territory now. Thanks again for the cookie.)  
The dog turned around and trotted away. Zain stared after him, wondering what the dog had meant.  
Then he remembered what Jeff had said. "If a person has the gift, you can see it in their eyes; their eyes have a certain sparkle that normal people don't have."  
_Then,_ Zain thought, _I spoke to the dog through... my PSI. But if I could do this, why have I never been able to do it before?_  
Because he had just realized his power last night. That was another thing that Zain was still having trouble believing: that after sixteen years of being a normal person, he had this special power that had been locked inside him all along.  
Zain realized that he liked being able to speak with animals. The dog had been very nice to him.  
The area around the drugstore was becoming less crowded. Zain stood up and looked around. A cat strutted out of the nearby alley and stood in front of the drugstore, its tail waving.  
Zain walked over to it. "Hello," he said.  
The cat looked up at him. (Oh, hi,) it said.  
Zain smiled, pleased. "What are you doing?" he asked it.  
(Just looking in the window,) the cat replied. (They sell catnip in there, but I can't get inside to get any.)  
His smile growing larger, Zain nodded. "Wait right here." With that, he went back into the drugstore.  
A moment later, he came back out with a bag of catnip, and deposited it on the ground. "Here you go."  
The cat's eyes widened, and it looked up at him gratefully. (You are very generous,) it said.  
"Do you want me to open it for you?" Zain asked.  
(No, I can do it myself,) the cat replied, showing Zain a pawful of razor-sharp claws.  
Zain nodded. "I suppose you can."  
The cat picked up the catnip bag in its mouth. (Thank you again,) it said. (By the way, you have nice eyes.) It turned and headed back into the alley where it came from.  
_This is kind of cool,_ Zain thought. He looked up at the drugstore window, and suddenly froze.  
Reflected in the store window, his own visage was staring back at him... With blue eyes.  
_That's not right,_ Zain thought. _My eyes are green, not blue!_  
It was an unnatural-looking blue, almost neon. Wondering what had happened to him, Zain inspected his reflection. He was surprised yet again when the blue color faded, and his eyes became green once more.  
Zain looked in the direction the cat had gone, realizing that he had just spoken with it a moment ago. He decided that the change in his eyes had occurred when he had used his PSI to speak with the animals. He only wondered why briefly, before he decided that wondering why at this point was probably a wasted effort.  
With a shrug, Zain smiled again. What had happened to his eyes was probably just a side effect of using his PSI. It didn't make it any less nifty that he could now speak with animals.

After getting over the new sensation of being able to communicate with animals, Zain adjusted his goggles, reached into his pocket, and checked his wallet. He had 108 dollars on him, which wouldn't get him very far. Furthermore, his bank account was almost empty; he only had a few dollars in it at the most.  
He sat down on the curb again. _So now what?_ he wondered.  
Finally, he had an idea. He didn't know how good it was, but anything was better than just sitting there. He decided to go the the public library and see if he could find out anything about Lumina Pillar, the Sanctuary that Jeff had told him to go to. Jeff had said that it was in Primera, but Zain had no idea where to look. He had never even heard of it before.  
He got up and started walking in the direction of the library, unaware that something was about to happen soon that would change his life forever.

About a half hour later, Zain was about halfway there; Primera was a decent-sized town, and it took a while to walk anywhere.  
He stopped to take a break, taking out a cookie and munching on it. He realized that he would have to start conserving his food if he wanted to make his money last.  
Just as he finished eating it, a bus pulled up and came to a stop. Zain swallowed the last of his cookie and brushed the crumbs off of his face.  
Zain looked at the bus. It was a Grayhand, like most of the buses were in the present age. He looked at it, realizing that he would probably have to ride one like it when he finally left Primera and moved on. Tickets for the bus were $4 per person, so it wasn't expensive; it would be a cheap and efficient way to travel.  
The bus opened its doors, and passengers started getting off of it. Zain turned and started to continue his trek to the library.  
As he began to move away, something made him stop. He had no idea why, but he suddenly had a strange gut feeling that he should turn back around.  
Suddenly Zain felt a hand tap lightly on his shoulder. "Excuse me, mister," a soft soprano voice said behind him, "could you please tell me where I can find the hotel in this town?"  
Zain turned around to reply, and found a girl behind him with long brown hair and eyes that reminded him of the sky on a clear sunny day.

The effect of the two of them seeing each other was momentous, to say the least. For Sasha Maybee came face to face with the boy from her dream.  
There he was, with his wavy blond hair, green eyes, and those goggles he wore on his forehead. It was as if he had stepped directly out of the dream and into reality. She stared at him in shock.  
Zain, for his part, was suddenly struck with a powerfully intense feeling of deja vu. He felt as if he had seen her before, many times, even though he had never met her before.  
For at least one minute, Zain and Sasha stared at each other, both completely stupefied.

As quickly as it had come, Zain's feeling of deja vu wore off, and he was the first to recover.  
He blinked as if clearing away a dream, and scratched his head. "Have... Have we met?" he asked.  
The sound of his voice broke through her reverie, and Sasha knew that it was not a dream this time, that she had truly met him. She suddenly threw her arms around him. "I can't believe I really found you," she said.  
Caught off guard, Zain stood there. _Well, this is awkward,_ he thought. _What's going on here?_  
Zain cleared his throat. "Um, why are you hugging me?" he asked.  
Embarrassed, Sasha let go of him. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to. I was just so happy to see you that I..."  
_Happy to see me?_ Zain thought. _But I've never even seen her before. Then again, though, why do I feel like I HAVE seen her before?_  
He shook his head and looked at the girl. "It's fine," he said. "But could you please explain how you can be happy to see me when we've never even met before?"  
Sasha blushed with embarrassment. "Well... We HAVE met before... Sort of, anyway..."  
At Zain's bewildered expression, she started to try and explain.

A while later, they were sitting on a nearby bench, and she finished explaining everything that had happened to her. "...So now I'm in Primera," Sasha concluded, "and by some kind of luck I found you."  
Zain scratched his head. "Let me see if I have this straight," he said. "You've seen me before, in this prophetic dream thing called Premonition. And in it, I'm the person who saves the world, and I also stop some immense evil from capturing you?"  
She nodded, and looked at the ground, feeling somewhat sad. "I know it sounds crazy," she admitted. "Sometimes I think it's crazy myself. But it's all I know."  
Zain had accepted quite a lot of crazy things recently. "Well, you're right about the 'salvation of the world' thing," he said.  
With that, he proceeded to tell her about the events of last night.

"So it's true, then. My dream was true." She smiled at him. "You're the one who will save the world from the dark one."  
Zain shrugged. "Yeah, but not alone. There are seven others, too." In fact, he had begun to suspect that he had just met one of those seven others; that deja vu feeling couldn't have been a coincidence.  
Sasha suddenly understood the way he was looking at her. "You don't... You don't think I'm one of them, do you?" she stuttered.  
"I don't know for sure," Zain admitted, "but I think you are. I mean, Jeff said that I would start meeting the others soon. It can't be just coincidence that we suddenly met like this."  
She looked away, still unsure about it. Zain looked at her. _She's scared,_ he thought. _And for good reason, if the new evil is after her._ Zain realized that he wanted to, HAD to, help her.  
Zain stood up and faced her, offering his hand. "Why don't we forget about destiny and prophecy and all of that..." he said warmly, "and just be friends."  
The girl looked up at him and smiled. She took his hand and stood up also. "...I could really use a friend."  
"Well, you have one now," he replied. "My name is Zain Maximillian."  
Her smile brightened. "Sasha Maybee."  
_That's a pretty name,_ Zain thought.  
He adjusted the straps of his backpack. "I'm hungry," he said. "Want to get some burgers and fries?"  
Sasha nodded. "I'm hungry too."  
"Okay then," said Zain. "There's a restaurant near here."

Later, they were sitting in the nearest burger shop, enjoying a meal. Sasha watched in amazement as Zain downed a hamburger in under thirty seconds.  
He was about to pick up another when he noticed her look. He picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth. "Sorry," he apologized. "I have a bit of an appetite." He decided not to mention the cookies and juice he had eaten a few hours ago.  
"No, it's okay," Sasha assured him. "Your appetite kind of reminds me of my brother's... At least, when he isn't busy pestering Shyla."  
Zain laughed. "Oh, yeah, you're from Falconland, right?" When he stopped to think about it, he could detect a hint of a Falconish accent in her voice. "That country's a long way from here."  
"I know," Sasha admitted. "My father's working in the Orange Enterprises base in Troisemburg, and I came here to visit him."  
"Your dad works for Orange Enterprises?" Zain asked, impressed.  
She nodded, taking a bite out of a hamburger. After swallowing, she said, "Yes, he's a high-ranking executive there." She laughed. "It's funny, because I don't even know what he DOES there." She put down her food and looked at Zain. "What does your dad do?"  
Zain's mood darkened. "...He was an aviator," he finally answered.  
Sasha stared at him in puzzlement. "Was?"  
Zain nodded. "He... He died in a plane crash a few years ago."  
Sasha looked down, feeling terrible for asking him. "I'm sorry," she said sadly. "I didn't know."  
"It's okay," Zain assured her. "There's nothing for you to apologize for."  
He pointed to the aviator goggles he wore on his forehead like a headband. "These belonged to him," he explained. "After he died, they were all that was left of him. I wear them for good luck; I'll sure need it, with this quest thing and all."  
Zain took a drink of his soda, and suddenly choked. "Zain! What's wrong?" Sasha cried, concerned for him.  
Coughing, Zain put down the cup. "The soda's WARM. It surprised me, that's all." He looked over at the counter. "Their machine must be broken. Crap, I hate warm soda."  
Sasha smiled. "Maybe I can help with that. Is anyone looking?"  
Perplexed, Zain looked around at the other customers; none were looking at them. "No, no one's looking."  
Her smile brightening, Sasha reached across the table and placed her hands around Zain's cup. Zain wondered what she was doing as she closed her eyes and concentrated. "PSI Freeze Alpha," she murmured.  
Zain's eyes widened as the soda froze solid. "Wow!"  
Sasha let go of the cup. After seeing what she had done, she hung her head. "I'm sorry," she said. "I guess I don't have very good control of it."  
Zain grinned. "You have PSI too? That's amazing!"  
She looked up. "'Too?'"  
He nodded. "Yeah. I can't freeze things like you can, but I can do something cool too."  
After looking around for a moment, he found a cut on Sasha's arm, just below the sleeve on her short-sleeve shirt. "There."  
Sasha looked at it. "Oh, this? That's from a scrape I had a few days ago."  
Still grinning, Zain placed his hand on her arm, and willed his new power to come forth. "Lifeup Alpha."  
Sasha stared at her arm in amazement as the cut healed before her eyes. She looked up at Zain. "You can heal--oh!"  
Zain was staring at her with neon blue eyes. "What's wrong?"  
As she looked at him, dumbstruck, his eyes faded back to green. "Your eyes..."  
Zain scratched his head. "Oh, they turned blue again? Yeah, that seems to happen whenever I use my PSI."  
Sasha shook her head in wonderment. "I've never seen anything like that before. I don't think even my dad knows anything about that." She paused, staring at him almost reverently. "I didn't even see you concentrate. You just touched me and used your power."  
"Concentrate?" asked Zain. "What are you talking about?"  
She stared at him as if he were suddenly going to grow a third arm. "Zain, you have to concentrate to use PSI."  
Zain shrugged. "Oh. I guess I don't know too much about it yet. You see, I only learned I had the gift last night."  
Now Sasha stared at him as if he actually HAD grown the third arm. "That's impossible," she said. "People with the gift are born with it. They become able to use it early in life."  
"Oh," said Zain. "I guess I don't know much of anything about PSI, except that I can use it."  
"I'm sorry," Sasha apologized. "I didn't mean to make you feel dumb. I'm sorry for doing that to you."  
"No, you're right," Zain replied. "There's nothing to apologize for."  
He turned his cup upside down, and a frozen cup-shaped mass of soda fell out onto the table. Zain laughed. "I guess that's what you call a 'pop'-sicle."  
Sasha laughed at his joke. She hadn't felt this good in a long time.

After they finished, Zain and Sasha left the restaurant. Zain was drinking his now-mostly-thawed soda. "That was fun," he said, "but I do have to go and find Lumina Pillar. I have a responsibility."  
Sasha nodded, smiling. "We'll have to go and try to find where it is, then," she agreed.  
Zain looked at her, surprised at the way she included herself in his quest; earlier, she had been unsure about what was going to happen. "Does that mean... You want to come with me?" he asked.  
His stare caused her to avert her sky-blue eyes shyly. Her smile widened, and she took his hand in her own. "Together we'll make it," she said.  
Zain smiled warmly, and he grasped her hand tighter. "Together we'll make it."

Zain decided that they should try the public library, just as he had been going to do before. He didn't know where else he could find information about Lumina Pillar.  
On their way to the library, a dog limped up to them. Zain saw it and turned to face it; he started in surprise as he recognized it as the one he had spoken with earlier. "Hey, what happened to you?" he cried. Sasha was startled as his eyes turned blue again.  
The dog looked up at him, standing on three legs while the left front leg hung limply. (Oh, it's you,) he said. (The one with the nice eyes.)  
Zain nodded. "But what happened to you?"  
Sasha tapped Zain on the shoulder. "Um, Zain... Why are you talking to that dog?" she asked, perplexed.  
He turned to her, and his eyes faded back to green. "You can't talk to animals?" he asked.  
"Of course not," Sasha replied. "Humans can't talk to animals."  
Zain blinked. "But I CAN talk to them," he protested. "My PSI lets me do it."  
Her eyes widened. "Really? PSI can do that?"  
He nodded. "Yeah. Well, mine can, at least. Why don't you try it, too?"  
Sasha nodded back, and concentrated. Zain turned back to the dog. "Sorry about the interruption," he said.  
(It's no trouble,) the dog replied.  
Sasha cried out in surprise. "I can hear him! It's true! You were right, Zain!"  
Zain looked at her and smiled, and then looked back to the dog. "So what happened to you?" he asked.  
The dog looked at his injured leg. (I got hit by a car.)  
"That's terrible!" said Sasha, horrified.  
(It's okay,) said the dog. (I wasn't hit very hard, so at least I'm still alive.)  
Sasha looked at Zain. "You have the power to heal, don't you, Zain? Can you help him?"  
Zain looked back at her and nodded. "I can do it," he said. Then he suddenly got an idea. "But maybe you could, too."  
"Heal?" said Sasha. "I can't do anything like that."  
Zain grinned. "You thought you couldn't talk to animals, either."  
She saw his point. "...Okay, I'll try."  
She walked up to the dog and knelt down. "I don't know if I can, but I'll try." She placed her hand on the dog's leg and concentrated. "Lifeup Alpha."  
Zain smiled as the dog's leg healed and returned to normal.  
The dog looked around in wonderment, able to stand on four legs again. He licked Sasha's face in gratitude. (Thank you.)  
"You're welcome," Sasha replied. She looked up at Zain and smiled warmly. "You were right, Zain."  
He nodded, and then had an idea. If she could use her PSI to heal, as he could, then why couldn't he use his PSI to freeze, and she could?  
Zain crouched in front of a puddle that had accumulated in a hole in the pavement. "Let's see what I can do," he said. "PSI Freeze Alpha."  
Nothing happened.  
Sasha looked at him. "It didn't work. I didn't even see your eyes change color."  
Zain shrugged and stood up. "Oh well. I guess there ARE some powers that are unique to a certain person."  
She nodded. "Still, you've taught me more about my powers in one day than I've learned in my whole life. My father never told me very much about my PSI, except for how to freeze things, and about my Premonition."  
"I'm glad I was able to," Zain replied. He looked off in the direction of the library. "I guess we should keep going now. We have to find information about Lumina Pillar."  
To their surprise, the dog spoke up. (The Pillar of Lumina?) he repeated. (I know where that is!)  
Both Zain and Sasha stared at the dog in shock. "You... You do?" Zain asked.  
(Yup,) said the dog. (If you leave Primera and head west through the forest, you'll come to a cave. Through the cave is the Pillar of Lumina.)  
"How do you know this?" Zain asked.  
(My great-granddad was there once,) the dog answered. (He told his pup about it, and then HE told HIS pup, and then THAT one told me. From what I heard, it's a really neat place. You should go see it.)  
Sasha smiled. "We will."  
Zain nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Thank you."  
(It's the least I can do for the way you and your friend helped me,) the dog said. (Anyway, I have to go and chase a few cats. Take care of yourself, nice-eyes. And take care of your friend, too; she's pretty.)  
Zain looked at Sasha as the dog left; she blushed and turned away.

As they walked to the western outskirts of Primera, Zain noticed that the sun was starting to go down. He hadn't even realized that a whole day had passed already.  
He turned to Sasha. "It's going to get dark soon," he said. "I don't think we should go out into the forest at night. There are too many creatures of the Madness out there."  
She nodded in agreement. "I've never seen a creature of the Madness, but they sound frightening."  
"Trust me, you don't want to meet one," Zain assured her. "Though if the Madness keeps spreading, we'll be seeing them soon enough, even in this town."  
He shook his head, trying not to worry about it. "Anyway, we should find a hotel for the night."  
"Why not your house?" Sasha asked. "Couldn't we stay there?"  
"We can't," said Zain. "My house is out in the southern outskirts of town, by the edge of the forest. By the time we get there, it will be dark, and we could get attacked by Madness creatures on the way."  
"Oh. I guess we WILL have to find a hotel, then."

After a while of searching, during which it began to get dark outside, they found one. Zain looked at the sign in disgust. "40 dollars a night for a single room. That's highway robbery."  
He checked his wallet; his money had dwindled even further after he had treated Sasha at the restaurant. "I've got 71 dollars left on me," he said.  
"I have 96 dollars left from the money Dad gave me," Sasha replied.  
Zain thought. "Together, that makes 167 dollars. If we get 2 rooms for tonight, we'll lose half of that."  
Sasha turned to him. "Well, we could just get one," she proposed.  
Zain's jaw dropped. "You're okay with that?" he asked incredulously.  
"I'm not picky," Sasha said. "A long time ago, my family lived in a smaller house, and I ended up having to share a room with my brother, so he wouldn't bother my sister." She smiled. "So it's okay with me."  
"Oh." Zain shrugged. "Well, if you're okay with that, then I guess it's fine. I'll just sleep on the floor."  
As they entered the hotel, Zain thought, _I sure hope Mom never hears about this..._

**_Meanwhile..._**

_Of all the times for a Grayhand bus to break down,_ Guy thought, _why did it have to be now?_  
On the way to Primera, the bus had broken down in the town of Duplora, and so now Guy was stranded. Moreover, he couldn't get to Primera on foot, because it was too far to walk.  
He sat, annoyed, at the bus station amidst all of the other disgruntled passengers. He had been sitting here for hours, waiting for the bus to be repaired, and he was getting impatient. How was he supposed to protect Sasha if he couldn't even reach her?  
Guy had offered to help with the bus repairs, but they had refused him, because they didn't think he could do anything. Now Guy had to watch while the inept repairman attempted to fix the bus, and usually only ended up breaking it even more.  
He took a deep breath. _Calm down,_ he told himself. _Don't get yourself worked up like this._  
Suddenly two people about his age approached him, and he looked up. It was a girl with black eyes and black neck-length hair, and a boy with grey eyes and brown hair. They both wore the same kind of clothes.  
"Excuse me," said the girl. "Do you mind if we sit here?"  
"Not at all," Guy replied. He moved over to allow them to sit down, and they did so.  
"Thanks," said the girl gratefully. The boy nodded his gratitude also.  
Guy smiled. "The pleasure is all mine."  
This made her smile. "You're really polite," she said. "Where are you going?"  
"I must get to Primera," Guy replied. "It is imperative that I go there. So I am waiting for the bus to be repaired."  
"Primera?" asked the boy. "That's where we had been thinking of going, too."  
The girl nodded her agreement. "Maybe we could go there together. Neil and I don't know very many people."  
"If that is what you wish," said Guy, "then I would enjoy both of your company."  
"Great!" said the girl. "I'm Karen."

**_To be continued..._**  



	10. Earthbound 202X Part 10

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 10: Attack on Primera**

In the morning, Zain and Sasha left the hotel.  
"So," Zain said, "now we have to go to Lumina Pillar."  
Sasha nodded, looking off to the west. "Yes."  
Then Zain thought of something. "You know, the forest is dangerous these days, even during the daytime. And you're completely unarmed. We should find you a weapon of some kind."  
"But couldn't I just use my PSI?" Sasha asked.  
"I don't know," Zain replied. "I think maybe it's not a good idea to rely on it too much."  
She looked at him. "You know, for a guy who just discovered the power two nights ago, you act like you know a lot about it."  
Zain looked down. "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that," he apologized. "I really don't know much of anything about it. I was just trying to be cautious."  
Abruptly Sasha regretted what she had said. "No, I'm sorry, Zain. I shouldn't have said that. After all, you showed me how to use the power to speak with animals, and even heal." She smiled. "Besides, you ARE right about not relying on PSI too much; I wasn't thinking. Using PSI drains your energy, and if you're too drained, you can't use it. You're right; I should probably get some kind of weapon."  
"Well, there's a drugstore near here," said Zain. "Let's go there and see if we can find something."

At the drugstore, they looked around at a few different things. Finally Sasha pointed something out. "What about this?"  
Zain looked at what she had indicated; it was a slingshot. He nodded. "That should work. In fact, it's a good idea; this way, you'll be able to attack long-range."  
Sasha smiled, pleased that he liked her choice. "I'll get it, then."  
Zain nodded again, and he looked at the price tag; it was 43 dollars. He dug out his wallet. Looking inside, he frowned; he only had 31 dollars left, after paying for the hotel room last night. He could empty his bank account, but that still wouldn't give him enough.  
She noticed what he was doing, and stopped him. "No, Zain. You don't have to buy it for me. You've paid for everything so far."  
Zain looked up from his wallet. "But--"  
She shook her head. "I have 96 dollars. That's more than enough to pay for this."  
Sighing, Zain put his wallet away. Sasha smiled; she appreciated how nice he was.  
She paid for the slingshot, and then they left the store.

Once they were outside again, Zain said, "I think we should be ready to go now."  
Sasha nodded. "Do we have everything we need?"  
"I think so," Zain replied. "If we get hungry on the way, I have some cookies and juice in my pack, and some extra burgers and fries too."  
"That's good," said Sasha. "Especially with what I've seen of your appetite."  
Zain turned red with embarrassment. "Well, I... Um..."  
She laughed. "I was only joking, Zain."  
"Well," Zain replied, "you might actually be right."  
They both laughed. Suddenly, something in Zain's backpack started ringing. "What's that?" Sasha asked.  
Zain took off his backpack and rummaged through it. "It must be the Receiver Phone," he said.  
"The what?" said Sasha, confused.  
Finally he found it. The Receiver Phone looked a lot like a cellular phone. It had a small display screen and numerical keypad, both of which looked as if they had been added in later. Above the display screen, there was a large black button; Zain pressed it and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"  
"Hello, Zain, it's Jeff," replied Jeff Andonuts, on the other end.  
"Jeff!" Zain cried. "Did you make it back okay?" Sasha started in surprise.  
"Yes, I'm fine," Jeff replied. "How has it been for you so far?"  
"Pretty good, actually," Zain answered. "I learned a little more about my PSI, and I met someone."  
"Another member of the Chosen Eight?" said Jeff. "I knew you would, but I didn't think it would be this soon."  
"Well, I'm still not sure about that," Zain admitted. "But it doesn't really matter to me. It's enough just that I have a friend to travel with." Overhearing him, Sasha smiled.  
"You're right, that's what matters," agreed Jeff. "It's good to have friends, and I used to have some really good ones..."  
He cut off. "Anyway, have you found out anything about the Sanctuary?"  
"We learned that it's west of Primera," answered Zain. "There's a cave in the western forest."  
"Good," said Jeff. "I'm glad you found out where it is. I tried to look up some information on it, but there wasn't anything; the northern Hawkland region is almost all wilderness."  
He paused for a moment. "Anyway, I just called to make sure that everything was okay. I'll call again if something comes up that you need to hear about. You can also call me here at the lab if you need to; the number is saved on your Receiver Phone."  
"Okay," said Zain.  
"All right then. Remember, it won't cost you anything to make a call with the Receiver Phone. I'll talk to you later, Zain." There was a click on the other end as Jeff hung up.  
Zain turned off the phone and looked at Sasha. "That was Jeff Andonuts," he said. "He's the one who told me about what I have to do."  
She nodded, and then suddenly remembered something. "I... I completely forgot to call Dad!" she cried, horrified. "I was supposed to call him last night!"  
Zain handed her the phone. "Try to call him now."  
Sasha took the phone and dialed her father's hotel room number. After a moment, she ended the call and looked at the ground. "...There's no answer."  
She gave the phone back to Zain. "He probably thinks something happened to me. I should have called him last night, like I was supposed to."  
"Don't worry," Zain said, attempting to console her. "We'll just try to reach him again later. We'll keep trying until we reach him."  
She nodded. "Okay..."

They started walking back toward the western edge of town, to enter the forest. Now that they had supplies, they were ready to go to Lumina Pillar.  
They had reached the hotel again when suddenly, a dog came out of a nearby alley. Zain smiled and stopped to talk to it.  
The dog looked up at him and snarled. Zain stepped back as he recognized the red glint of the Madness in its eyes.  
"Zain, what's wrong?" Sasha asked.  
"It's a creature of the Madness!" exclaimed Zain.  
She froze. "A Madness creature?" she repeated, afraid.  
Zain nodded, watching the dog carefully. "See the red in its eyes? That's proof that it's a Madness creature."  
Sasha edged closer to Zain. "What are we going to do?"  
Just then, five more dogs came out of the alley and joined the first. All of them had the Madness as well.  
Zain looked at them, and started as he recognized the dog that he had just spoken to yesterday... The one who had told him where to find Lumina Pillar. "Sasha, look!"  
She saw it as well. "It's the dog we talked to yesterday!"  
The dog gave no hint of recognition as it bared its teeth at the two humans.  
Zain tried to talk to it, using his PSI. "Don't you recognize us?" he asked.  
"We just talked to you yesterday!" Sasha cried, trying to communicate with it as well.  
The dog gave no response other than to growl maliciously.  
Not taking his eyes off of the six dogs, Zain shook his head. "It's useless. The Madness has him, so he won't even recognize us."  
Other people on the street started to notice what was going on, and began to stare fearfully at the spectacle. Their attention was diverted elsewhere as more and more dogs began to emerge, growling viciously. A nearby police officer ran to his squad car and radioed frantically for backup.  
"Sasha," said Zain solemnly, "if we're going to make it out of this alive, we're going to have to fight."  
"But what about the dog from yesterday?" asked Sasha. "We can't..."  
"We have to," Zain said. "I don't like it either, but we have to. He has the Madness now; he doesn't know us anymore. We can't hesitate... Because HE won't."  
Slowly, Sasha nodded. "I understand..."  
"We're outnumbered," Zain continued. "For us to have a chance, we have to stay together. We mustn't get separated, Sasha."  
Sasha nodded in agreement. She looked at Zain and managed to smile, even in their current situation. "Together we'll make it."  
Upon hearing this, Zain smiled as well. "Together we'll make it."  
The dogs began to approach them, preparing to attack. Zain slowly brought out his baseball bat, and Sasha gripped her new slingshot, fitting a stone to it.  
In the area around them, people who could escape into buildings were doing so, trying to get away from the Madness animals. Some people, the ones who were brave enough, improvised weapons of their own, or prepared to fight with their fists. A large, heavyset woman brandished her purse like a flail. The police officer, having finished calling for backup, drew his service revolver and started trying to calm down the people nearby. "I've called for backup," he said. "It'll be here shortly. Please remain calm."  
No one heard the "remain calm" part; as if on cue, the dogs simultaneously attacked.  
One of the dogs leapt at Zain's throat, its teeth bared. Zain swung his bat hard, knocking it out of the air. Standing beside him, Sasha fired her slingshot at another dog who was about to jump; the stone cracked it in the face, and it fell to the ground, dazed; the Madness disappeared from its eyes.  
Sasha turned to Zain, elated that the Madness seemed to be gone from the dog. "Did you see that, Zain?"  
"Duck!" Zain cried. Almost by reflex, Sasha did so, and Zain swung his bat above her, smashing a leaping dog out of the air.  
In the background, the policeman fired his pistol at the dogs, and some of the tougher people who had stood their ground were fighting off other dogs with their fists and improvised weapons. The large woman wielded her purse with great force, sending dogs flying as far as thirty feet away.  
Determined not to get caught off guard again, Sasha turned to another dog that was about to leap, and concentrated. "PSI Freeze Alpha!" Freezing winds swirled around her target, blasting it with cold force.  
Zain was suddenly attacked by another dog... It was the one he had befriended yesterday. Against his own advice, Zain hesitated... And the dog's jaws closed on his left arm.  
Sasha suddenly heard Zain cry out, and turned to see a dog hanging from his arm. "Zain!"  
Without thinking, she dashed forward and threw herself into the dog. The force knocked it off of Zain's arm; it hit the ground and sprawled in a heap. Sasha lost her balance and fell to the ground.  
Seizing the opportunity, another dog leapt for her throat... And Zain, wielding his bat with one arm, brought his weapon down on its head. "Stay away from her!" Zain shouted. The dog collapsed, and the Madness disappeared from its eyes.  
Sasha scrambled to her feet. "Thanks, Zain."  
"Well, thank YOU for knocking the other one off," Zain replied.  
He turned to the remaining dogs. Some of the ones he had hit before were getting up again, and there were still others as well. Soon they would attack again.  
Zain suddenly began to feel very angry. These dogs had probably been quite friendly before, like the one he had spoken with yesterday. And now, because of the Madness, they had been turned into mindless creatures that only cared about killing.  
_This ends now,_ he thought fiercely.  
Switching his bat to his injured arm, Zain raised his good arm and spread his fingers at the enemy. "This ends now," he repeated angrily.  
Sasha stared at Zain in surprise as his eyes turned a smouldering red. She felt an immense force building up within him, ready to break free at any moment.  
And then Zain released it. "PSI Hyperion Alpha!"  
Sasha watched as a huge burst of light exploded forth from Zain's outstretched hand. From the light, many tiny stars, blindingly bright, emerged from the light and blasted the enemies. Each one of the stars exploded in a burst of sunlight as it connected.  
Feeling somewhat fatigued, Zain lowered his hand, and the red color in his eyes faded away. Not a single one of his enemies were left standing.  
The other people who were fighting off the dogs stared at Zain, having seen what he had done. "Did you see that?" asked one of them. "What WAS that?"  
Just then, the backup that the policeman had called for arrived. Five squad cars drove into the fray and screeched to a halt. At least two officers got out of each car and began taking care of the rest of the dogs.  
Soon, the police had the situation under control. All of the dogs had been put out of commission, and most of the remaining ones became tame, losing the Madness.  
Zain watched what was happening. He turned to Sasha, and the baseball bat fell from his left hand. "...I guess they have it taken care of, now..." he said. He felt somewhat dizzy.  
Sasha looked at his left arm, which was bleeding profusely; Zain had lost a lot of blood. She had to do something, or else...  
She placed her hands on Zain's wound, and concentrated, using her gift for healing as Zain had taught her. "Lifeup Alpha!"  
The wound closed and disappeared, and the dizziness went away. Able to use his arm again, Zain smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks," he said.  
"You're welcome," Sasha replied, smiling back. "We have to watch out for each other, remember?"  
She thought back on the power that Zain had used to defeat the dogs. Although not quite as powerful, it had been almost identical to the one that he had used to drive away the darkness in her dream. "What kind of power was that you used?" she asked, curious.  
Zain scratched his head. "It's the first PSI power I learned," he explained. "I used it to destroy an agent of the new evil."  
Sasha smiled warmly at him; so this was the power that could drive back darkness. "Zain, you're amazing," she said sincerely.  
Zain looked down, lost for words... And then he suddenly noticed that the dog they had met yesterday was gone. "Look, the dog's gone!" he cried.  
She looked at where the dog had been, and her eyes widened. "Where could he have gone?"  
Just then a police officer came up to them; it was the same officer that had been in the area when the stray dogs' attack had begun. "I saw the way you two helped fight off the attack," he said. He focused on Zain. "Especially you, with that large explosion and all. You took out a lot of the dogs with that attack; you've helped to save a lot of people."  
Zain shook his head. "It was nothing, officer. Besides, I couldn't have done it without Sasha."  
The policeman shrugged. "Well, in any case, I just finished talking to the mayor, and he wanted to meet both of you."  
Zain's eyes widened. "The mayor of Primera?"  
The officer nodded. "Come on, I'll take you to City Hall in my squad car."

Not long after, Zain and Sasha were in City Hall, standing in front of the mayor of Primera, Norris Rupert. "I am very impressed with the way the two of you fought back against the Madness creatures to protect this town. In an age where the Madness is causing more and more animals to go berserk, it's wonderful that young people like you two can take initiative, and stand up and fight against it."  
He cleared his throat and continued. "Therefore, for the service you've done for your community, I hereby present you with this reward. Merras, please give them the reward."  
The mayor's assistant walked up to Zain and deposited $1000 into his hand. Zain and Sasha looked at the mayor in surprise.  
"You deserve it," the mayor said. "Use it wisely."  
Zain nodded. "We will."

The police officer gave them a ride back to the western outskirts of town, warning them to be careful because of the Madness.  
Sasha noticed that it was beginning to get dark. She turned to Zain. "I guess we can't go to Lumina Pillar today, either."  
Zain sighed. "I guess not; it'll be too dangerous in the dark. We're tired from the fight, anyway. We'll just have to wait until tomorrow, and then set out for Lumina Pillar."  
Sasha nodded in agreement. "Let's go back to the hotel." Then she suddenly remembered. "Oh, and I have to call Dad, too."  
"Once we get to the hotel," Zain said, "you can use the Receiver Phone to call him." Sasha nodded.  
As they set out for the hotel, Zain thought, _Tomorrow, we'll finally go to Lumina Pillar._

**_Meanwhile..._**

It was snowing when Deckard Petersen arrived in Winters.  
From the airport, a taxi took him as far as it could go: to the general store near the Snow Wood Boarding School. Vehicles couldn't go past there, because there was no road.  
As he got out of the taxi, the driver turned to talk to him. "They say that the Andonuts laboratory is to the south," he said. "Just go south. When you reach the lake, you can take the ferry across. After that, you have to keep going south, through a cave and past the old Stonehenge ruins."  
Deckard sighed mentally. _Dr. Andonuts certainly likes to isolate himself,_ he thought. "Thank you," he told the driver.  
"Anytime," the taxi driver replied. "Just be careful, okay? There's Madness creatures lurking around these days."  
Deckard nodded, and the taxi drove away. After it was gone, Deckard looked to the south. The only thing he saw was snowy wasteland.  
"It's going to be a long trip," he said, trying to prepare himself mentally.  
But he had to do it. He owed it to Lexa to do it. Her life and her freedom depended upon him.  
Deckard checked the Shining Wind Sword in its sheath, making sure that it was loose enough to be drawn quickly. _I promised I wouldn't stop until I found you,_ he reminded himself. _And if I have to go through a frozen wasteland to find you, then I will._  
With resolve in his heart, Deckard began the long trek south.

**_To be continued..._**  



	11. Earthbound 202X Part 11

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 11: The Pillar of Lumina**

On board the mothership that was currently stationed near Earth, the man called Kaatz stood in the main chamber, awaiting the arrival of the master.  
As he waited, a disheveled-looking fat man with a mop of blond hair entered the chamber as well. His brown suit was dirty, and he was breathing heavily.  
Kaatz turned to him. "Well, Mister P," he said in his deep voice, "did you take care of Target Priority Three?"  
Mister P didn't look at him. "...No," he replied.  
"Hmmph," said Kaatz condescendingly. "The master will not be pleased with you."  
The other's black eyes looked up at Kaatz. "Do you have to rub it in?" he asked angrily.  
Kaatz folded his arms. "I am merely stating a fact."  
Mister P fully turned to him. "Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, metalhead."  
Kaatz flinched at the name "metalhead." He closed his eyes, or rather, his left eye; the optical sensor in the right side of his face could not close.  
Suddenly an ominous voice echoed throughout the chamber. "Enough squabbling. I will now listen to your reports."  
Kaatz and Mister P both turned to the back of the room and responded simultaneously. "Yes, Master Giaguo."  
In the back of the room, part of the wall swiveled around and reversed itself, revealing an egg-shaped tank of some unknown fluid. In the fluid was the master; a thin alien creature with four limbs and jet black eyes that seemed to peer into the souls of the two commanders before him. Although he was small and thin, both Kaatz and Mister P knew very well that the alien was fully capable of destroying them with ease.  
The master's black eyes turned to Kaatz. "First you, Kaatz," he said, his voice still echoing everywhere. "What is the status of the 'Stonehenge' base?"  
Kaatz faced him in a military manner, folding his hands behind his back. "The base has been secured, Master Giaguo," he answered. "My team cleaned out the base and terminated any creatures within, and I placed a Binding Pseal upon the entrance so that no one else may enter until we are ready. When the time comes, we can resume operations in the base at any time."  
"I am glad to hear this," said Giaguo. From his voice, Kaatz sensed an aura of pleasure. The alien focused next on Mister P. "Next, you, Mister P. Have you taken care of Target Priority Three?"  
Mister P did not look at him. "...I failed, Master Giaguo," he said regretfully. "I had her, and then just before the ship came, some kid jumped out of the dark and trounced me."  
One of Giaguo's eyes widened, as if he were raising an eyebrow. "You were 'trounced' by 'some kid?'"  
"I couldn't help it," Mister P continued. "He surprised me. Everything was going to plan until that happened, less than 15 seconds before the ship came."  
Kaatz sensed an aura of displeasure from the alien's voice. "If you 'had' her before this other person interfered, then you had a chance to eliminate her, and you did not take it."  
"I didn't take it, Master Giaguo," Mister P agreed. "Your orders were to either kill her, or bring her in alive for your collection. I believed it would be preferable to you if I brought her in alive, and so I was attempting to do that."  
Giaguo paused for a moment. "...This is true," he said, the edge disappearing from his voice. "Based upon her heritage, Target Priority Three is a highly unique individual. She would make a prime addition to my menagerie."  
He paused again before speaking. "Since you had my best interests in mind, I will forgive your failure, Mister P. I allowed you to join me because thirty Earth orbits ago, you somehow managed to gain control of Giygas-12162203616-630, and such a thing is unprecedented in the history of my people. I have not regretted that decision, at least not yet, and I have faith that you can succeed."  
Mister P smiled proudly. "Thank you, Master Giaguo."  
"Now," continued Giaguo, "Target Priority Three's location is still within the Earth town of Duplora, not very far from where your last location. She has latent telepathic power, and since she cannot mask it, I can sense her general location. You will return to Duplora, Mister P, and capture her. Also, I would not object if you wish to exact your vengeance upon the one who caused your failure."  
Mister P bowed. "As you wish, Master Giaguo."  
Kaatz spoke up. "I have a question, Master Giaguo."  
"Speak."  
Staring at the alien, Kaatz asked, "What of Target Priority Two? Did that mission succeed?"  
"The Starman Junior X unit that I dispatched has not reported," Giaguo replied. "I am forced to assume that the attempt has failed, and that the last of the 'Chosen Four' still lives."  
Kaatz nodded. "I didn't think a Starman Junior X would be able to take care of him," he said. "Shall I go and take care of the matter myself?"  
"No," Giaguo said. "I have decided not to waste any more resources on Target Priority Two. He lacks any kind of psychic ability whatsoever, and I do not consider him a legitimate threat. As of this moment, he is no longer a priority target."  
"But he's one of the Chosen Four!" Kaatz protested. "Any one of them MUST be taken seriously!"  
The alien's eyes narrowed. "I understand your conviction about this, Kaatz, but if you raise your voice to me again, you will end up having to replace the other half of your face."  
Kaatz backed down instantly. Mister P snickered.  
"My decision in this is final," Giaguo continued. "You are needed elsewhere, Kaatz."  
"What are your orders, Master Giaguo?" asked Kaatz.  
"Your new mission," said Giaguo, "is to seek out and find Target Priority One."  
Kaatz raised his left eyebrow, the only one he had left. "The other girl?"  
"Yes," said Giaguo. "Recently, I have no longer been able to sense her location. She has disappeared, and I do not know why."  
"Disappeared from your senses?"  
"Yes."  
Kaatz thought about this. "Hmmm... I may be able to explain this."  
"Do so," Giaguo ordered.  
"Well," said Kaatz, "you were sensing Target Priority One through her anomalous ability to sense future events. It could be that you can no longer sense her because this ability has been blocked somehow."  
The alien's black eyes widened. "What could do this?"  
"It's only a theory," Kaatz admitted, "but someone could have designed a pseal to do such a thing. If this is the case, then her prescient ability would be sealed, and no longer functional. This would also indicate that someone on Earth besides myself knows how to implement pseals."  
Giaguo paused for a moment. "...That is a very intriguing theory," he finally said, "and it is possibly true. It would certainly explain why I can no longer sense her."  
Suddenly Kaatz remembered something else. "There is another thing, Master Giaguo."  
"What is it?"  
Kaatz looked down. "A meteor fell to earth approximately two nights ago," he said. "Near the town of Primera."  
Giaguo's voice became filled with an aura of surprise. "What?"  
"If we are to believe the prophecies of the 'Apple of Enlightenment,'" said Kaatz, "then the chosen leader may have emerged."  
Giaguo thought for a moment. "...If this is true," he said, "then this changes things significantly."  
"Exactly," Kaatz agreed.  
"However," Giaguo continued, "we have no knowledge of who this 'chosen leader' may be. Therefore, I cannot sufficiently act upon it at this time."  
"What about the eight Sanctuary locations?" asked Mister P, who had not spoken for some time. "If there is another chosen one, he'll try to go to the Sanctuaries and receive the power of the Earth. That's what HE did thirty years ago."  
"They are well guarded," replied Giaguo. "I made certain of it."  
He focused on Kaatz. "These are your orders, Kaatz. Take a team of Starman Elite models and search the area of the northern Hawkland region on Earth. Search for Target Priority One; I must have her as soon as possible."  
"It shall be as you command, Master Giaguo," Kaatz replied.  
"Good," said the alien. "In addition, if you happen to encounter the 'chosen leader,' then you are to terminate him at once. If what you say is true, and the 'Apple of Enlightenment' is coming to pass, then we must take the utmost care. We must learn from our past two mistakes, so that we do not make a third."  
Kaatz nodded. "As you wish, Master Giaguo."  
Giaguo spoke one last time. "Now go."  
The wall swiveled around again, and the alien disappeared into whatever room lay beyond.  
Kaatz and Mister P turned and left the room, to carry out their missions.

**_Meanwhile..._**

Zain and Sasha left the hotel. Although he didn't say anything, Zain felt sore from sleeping on the hard floor.  
He turned to Sasha, adjusting the goggles on his forehead. "Well, Sasha, I guess it's time to go to Lumina Pillar."  
She looked at him and nodded, worried. She had tried to call her father again last night, and still had not been able to reach him.  
"It's okay, Sasha," Zain said, trying to reassure her. "I'm sure we'll reach him eventually. We'll just keep trying until we do."  
Affected by his positive outlook, Sasha managed to smile. "Okay."  
They walked away from the hotel and headed for the western edge of Primera.

Standing on the edge of the forest, Sasha looked as far as she could. She couldn't see very far; even in the daytime, the Great Northern Forest of Hawkland was dark.  
She turned to Zain. "It looks very dangerous in there. I hope we'll be okay."  
Zain grinned. "We'll be okay." He took her hand. "Together we'll make it."  
Sasha smiled warmly upon hearing those words. "Together we'll make it."  
Their confidence bolstered, they entered the forest.

It became very dark almost immediately. Once their eyes adjusted to the dim light, it became easier to see. It was almost completely silent, which was very unlike a forest. _Could the Madness possibly be getting worse?_ Zain wondered.  
Zain looked around as they walked, trying to look everywhere in case a Madness creature appeared. It was almost just as ominous as the other night, except that there was no fog, and he was not alone this time.  
He looked at his baseball bat. Since yesterday, when he had used it to fight off the Madness-crazed dogs, he had noticed that the bat was beginning to crack. _It's an old bat,_ he thought. _It's no wonder it's starting to break. Sooner or later it's going to break apart entirely; I just hope it's later._ If he made it back to Primera alive, he would see about getting a new one with the reward money they had won yesterday.  
He turned to Sasha. "...You okay?" he asked.  
She turned to him and managed a smile. "I'm okay," she replied. "It's just too quiet."  
"You're right about that," Zain agreed.  
Sasha paused for a moment. "It's so different in this country," she said. "In Falconland, there IS no Madness."  
Zain shrugged. "There could be soon enough. I heard on the news a while ago that it's spreading to other regions of the world. It's in Winters, Summers, and America right now, and they've predicted that it'll soon spread to Scaraba and Eagleland. There are probably other places that have it, too."  
"I wish I knew what's causing it," said Sasha. "It's really frightening."  
Zain didn't speak for a moment. "...It's the influence of the new evil," he finally said.  
"The... The new evil?"  
He nodded solemnly. "The enemy that I told you about before... The one that I have to somehow stop."  
Sasha's sky-colored eyes looked down. "...The dark one... The one who takes me in the end..."  
Zain stared at her. Of all the things he didn't know, there was one thing that he did. "That's not going to happen."  
Upon hearing this, she looked up. "...I'm really glad that I found you, Zain," she said.  
Zain smiled. "Me too, Sasha."  
Sasha was about to smile when she suddenly sensed something. "Look out!" she cried, grabbing Zain and pulling him to the ground just as the wildcat pounced.  
It sailed overhead, claws ready to slash, through the space where Zain had been standing. Landing on the ground nearby, it turned and prepared to strike again.  
Zain leapt to his feet. _That was too close,_ he thought. _I didn't even hear it coming. How did Sasha know?_  
He had no time to ponder this as the wildcat hissed and pounced again. Zain sidestepped the attack and caught the creature with his bat as it passed. He heard the bat strike the wildcat, and then he heard an audible wooden crack.  
Though it was injured, the wildcat was still able to fight. It hissed madly and faced them again.  
Sasha clasped her hands together and concentrated. "PSI Freeze Alpha!"  
The air around the wildcat froze, blasting the creature with ice. It collapsed and became tame, losing the Madness. There were ice crystals lodged in its fur.  
Sasha sighed, relaxing. "That wasn't so hard," she said.  
"How did you know it was about to attack?" asked Zain. "I didn't even hear it."  
She looked down. "I... I don't know..." she said. "I just suddenly had this feeling that something terrible was about to happen, and..."  
"Like a sixth sense?" Zain offered.  
"...Yes, like that," she agreed with a nod.  
Zain grinned. "Maybe it's that Premonition power, warning you of the immediate future."  
Sasha shook her head. "That can't be."  
"Why not?"  
"Because of this." Sasha slowly lifted up her long bangs with her hand.  
Zain was startled to see a small letter "p" burned into Sasha's forehead. He had never noticed it before, because her bangs covered it. "What's that?"  
"My dad called it a pseal," Sasha explained. "He put it on me a few days ago. It blocks my Premonition; I haven't had any of the dreams ever since he put it on me. Because of this, I can sleep again."  
"Well," said Zain, "if it lets you sleep, then it's definitely a good thing."  
Sasha nodded and let her hair fall back down, covering the pseal.  
Zain looked at his baseball bat; he had heard it crack during the fight. Just as he suspected, the cracks along the bat were larger. "I hope there isn't much more fighting ahead," he said. "This old bat can't take much more of this."  
He looked up from the bat... And then he saw it. The cave lay nearby, opening up into the ground. "There's the cave!"  
They went over to it and looked inside. It was pitch black within, and they couldn't see very far.  
Zain sighed. "Just our luck, neither of us thought to bring a flashlight."  
"We won't be able to see in there," said Sasha.  
Suddenly Zain remembered something. He took off his backpack and searched the outside of it, hoping that what he was looking for was still there.  
It was. Attached to one of the zippers was a tiny pocket flashlight on a keyring. Zain removed it and put his backpack on again, and showed the light to Sasha. "How lucky is that? I thought I would never have to use this thing!"  
"That IS lucky," Sasha agreed.  
Zain switched on the little flashlight and used it to look around inside the cave entrance. The flashlight threw a small, short beam, and he wasn't able to see very far, but the area inside the entrance appeared to be empty.  
He turned to Sasha. "It looks like there's nothing dangerous there. Are you ready to go in?"  
Slowly, she nodded. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be for this."  
They both laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "Okay then," said Zain. "Let's go in."

The cave was completely dark; the only source of illumination came from Zain's flashlight. They moved slowly and cautiously, on the lookout for anything dangerous; there was no telling what kind of Madness creatures might have made this place their home.  
As they traveled through it, the cave sloped downward, going deeper and deeper underground. For both of them, it was even more frightening than the forest; if something came after them here, there was a good chance that neither of them would see it.  
"Maybe this isn't the right cave," Zain said, half-jokingly. His voice seemed to get swallowed by the surrounding darkness.  
Sasha didn't respond; she was too focused on looking for anything that could be dangerous.  
Suddenly they both heard an ominous skittering noise behind them. They whirled around, and in the beam of Zain's flashlight, they could see three very large black ants. Each of the ants was the size of a small dog, and in their compound eyes, one could see the red glint of the Madness.  
The ants chittered menacingly and advanced on Zain and Sasha; the ants' legs made the same sound against the hard stone that Sasha had heard earlier.  
Sasha recovered from her surprise first, and acted. She didn't have her slingshot out, so she fell back on her PSI. "PSI Freeze Alpha!"  
One of the ants was blasted with cold. It fell onto its back, and its legs curled up.  
Zain dashed forward and smashed another ant with his bat. The ant went sailing off into the darkness, and Zain heard it slam into the cave wall in the distance. He also heard his bat crack even more.  
He was just about to look at his bat and see how bad it was when the last ant sank its mandibles into his leg. He cried out in surprise and pain, and lifted his bat to strike the enemy.  
There was no need. The last ant was put out of commission as a Freeze attack knocked it off of Zain's leg and froze it solid. There were ice crystals stuck on Zain's pant leg.  
Zain turned to Sasha. "Thanks."  
She just smiled. "We have to watch out for each other."  
Zain nodded and bent down to check his injured leg. It was bleeding where the ant had bitten him, and it didn't show any signs of stopping.  
He placed his hand on the wound. "Lifeup Alpha!" The wound closed up, and he felt better.  
After he made sure it was healed, he looked up at Sasha. He was starting to lose count of how many times she had probably saved his life. She had told him that her dreams had shown that he would save her from the new evil, but for the most part, it seemed to be the other way around so far. Zain smiled, grateful that he had such a good friend.  
Sasha looked at him. "I think I might have figured out how to make my PSI Freeze stronger," she said.  
"Really?" asked Zain. "How?"  
"Well, I've used it so many times that I think I've realized a higher level of power," she explained. "That's what happens when you use PSI. The more you use it, the more you improve at it."  
"Oh," said Zain. "I guess I don't really understand that much about it."

They went further into the cave, and Zain lost track of how far they'd gone. Nothing else attacked them, but they were always watching for enemies.  
Suddenly they saw the faint glow of a white light ahead. "What could that be?" asked Sasha.  
"I don't know," Zain replied, scratching his head. "Why would there be light down here?"  
Eventually they reached the source of the light: a brilliantly shining orb, giving off intense white light in all directions. It actually hovered in the middle of the path, blocking their progress.  
Zain and Sasha were astonished by it. "What IS that thing?" asked Zain. It was so bright that they couldn't even look directly at it.  
"It's beautiful..." Sasha remarked.  
As they stood there, wondering what it was, the orb suddenly reacted. It seemed to pull all of the light back into itself, almost like a black hole. Then it shifted and changed shape, taking on a form.  
Finally all of the light died out, and Zain and Sasha stared in surprise at what had emerged: an overly large panther, which was much larger than either of them.  
The creature stood up on its hind legs, and eyed Zain and Sasha with a predatory gaze. Then, surprising them even further, it spoke.  
"Welcome, intruders," it said. "I am Turbo Cat, loyal follower of the master. Beyond here is the Pillar of Lumina."  
Zain got out his bat, holding it in a fighting stance. "You work for the new evil!"  
"Evil?" Turbo Cat retorted. "The master is not evil. He has every right to do what he is doing."  
"Nobody has a right to hurt innocent people!" Zain shouted.  
"You are foolish to believe such a thing," said Turbo Cat, his feline face twisting into a smirk. "A primitive Earth person such as yourself has no hope of comprehending the way the universe works."  
Zain had had about enough of this... person. "Let us through to Lumina Pillar!" he demanded.  
"Lumina Pillar is mine," said Turbo Cat. "If you want it, you will have to take it from me." With that, he attacked.  
Zain was caught by surprise, and Turbo Cat smashed into him, sending him flying backward into the cave wall. "Zain!" Sasha cried.  
She had to help him. Summoning her newly realized power, she struck out at the enemy. "PSI Freeze Beta!"  
A larger burst of cold, larger than anything her power had ever produced before, manifested and blasted Turbo Cat. He was knocked off of Zain and sent sprawling.  
While Turbo Cat collected himself, Sasha ran over to Zain and used her healing power on him. With her help, Zain staggered to his feet. "Thanks, Sasha."  
Turbo Cat got up again; there were large ice crystals embedded in his fur. "You will pay for that, girl!" he snarled. He dashed forward at them, claws extended.  
Zain yanked Sasha out of the way and met the enemy with his bat, swinging as hard as he possibly could. There was an audible thud as his attack struck, following by the sound of splintering wood.  
Turbo Cat fell to the ground, clutching his midsection where he had been hit. Zain stared in dismay at his broken bat; the only thing left of it was the handle.  
The enemy got up again. In addition to the ice crystals, he now had wood splinters stuck in his fur. "You...!" He raised a paw to swipe at Zain and slash him to ribbons. Zain, now unarmed, could only watch.  
Sasha saw what was about to happen; she had to do something. She concentrated her power again. "PSI Freeze B--"  
She was cut off as Turbo Cat whirled around and batted her with his paw, knocking her to the floor. "That won't happen again," he said.  
Sasha tried to get up, but she was pressed back to the floor as Turbo Cat held her down with one paw. With the other, he extracted his claws and prepared to end it; pinned to the floor, Sasha could only watch. "Now you die," Turbo Cat said.  
Zain watched in horror at what was about to happen. "Sasha!"  
"Don't worry," Turbo Cat told him. "It will be your turn next."  
"Zain, run away!" Sasha cried. "He's too powerful!"  
Zain stared at the scene. If he didn't do something, then Sasha would die.  
Abruptly he was filled with great anger. He was not going to let that happen.  
His eyes turned a burning red, and he raised his right hand, spreading his fingers at the enemy. "Let her go," he ordered, his voice filled with rage.  
Both Sasha and Turbo Cat suddenly felt an immense power buildup. Turbo Cat turned his head and looked at Zain. "What the...?"  
A strong wind began to blow, and the air around Zain began to crackle with energy. "I said let her go," Zain repeated.  
"And what if I don't?" Turbo Cat retorted.  
Zain's burning red eyes narrowed. "I'll tear you to pieces."  
"You're bluffing," said Turbo Cat. "You're not nearly that powerful." He laughed, and raised his paw to finish Sasha off.  
Zain released his power. "PSI Hyperion Alpha!"  
The entire cave was suddenly lit up as the solar attack left Zain's outstretched hand. Turbo Cat was blasted off of Sasha and sent flying into the wall.  
Sasha stared at Zain in surprise as he bent down and helped her up. "Are you okay?" he asked.  
"Yes, I'm alright," she said. "Thank you, Zain."  
Suddenly Turbo Cat loomed over them, heavily injured. "I'll kill both of you!" he screamed.  
Zain whirled on him and instantly used his power again. "PSI Hyperion Alpha!"  
Turbo Cat might have been able to survive the attack once, but the second time was too much for him. He howled in fury as he was vanquished.  
Zain turned back to Sasha; she was staring at him in awe. "How did you attack like that so fast?" she asked.  
Zain shrugged. "I had to."  
She smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're so fast."  
"Me too."

A bit further in the cave, they found it.  
The tunnel opened up into a large cavern. In the center of the cavern was a giant pillar made of white light.  
Zain and Sasha looked at it in awe. "So this is it," said Zain, amazed that they had finally made it. "This is Lumina Pillar."  
Sasha stepped forward. "I... I feel like I know this place," she said. "It's as if it's calling out to me."  
Zain looked at her, surprised. He recalled Jeff's words: _One location will empower one member of the Chosen Eight, so each member of the Chosen Eight will receive Earth's power._  
_Then it's true,_ Zain thought. _Sasha really IS one of the Chosen Eight._ He reached into his pack and pulled out the Sound Stone that Jeff had given him.  
Sasha walked forward until she was right in front of the pillar. She had never felt anything like this before.  
Suddenly she saw an image in her head. It was of her father as a young man, about her age. She smiled at the vision, and was surprised when it spoke to her, pointing off in a direction. _He is the world's salvation, and yours, too._  
Sasha looked where he was pointing: directly at Zain. She turned back to the vision of her father. "I know."  
Her father smiled, and then his image faded away. _I am going to give you a new power,_ his voice said. _The power of Lumina Pillar, the shield that protects others from harm. Sasha Maybee, the power of PSI Shield Gamma is now yours._  
Sasha's eyes widened as she suddenly realized that she knew PSI Shield Gamma. It was an advanced shield ability that would protect someone from physical or psychic harm.  
Next, both Zain and Sasha were filled with a strange warmth; it felt comfortable and protective. As they stood there, all of the wounds and injuries they still possessed faded away, healed by the Sanctuary.  
And then, a clear melody began to ring out, resonating throughout the cave.  
Neither of them had ever heard anything like it. It was such a peaceful and happy melody, and it left both of them feeling the same way.  
Shortly after it began, though, the melody cut off. Then the Sound Stone that Zain was holding began to glow with a soft blue light, and it replayed the melody exactly.  
_We've done it,_ Zain thought. _We have the first part of the Earth's melody._  
Sasha, still standing in front of Lumina Pillar, heard her father's voice one last time. _Don't leave him, Sasha,_ the voice said. _He needs you as much as you need him._  
Sasha realized that the voice was talking about Zain. She looked back at Zain, who was staring at the Sound Stone in awe. She smiled at him. "I won't," she said. "I promise."

Shortly after, they exited the cave back out into the forest.  
"We did it, Sasha," said Zain. "We have the first Sanctuary."  
She nodded. "So there's seven more?"  
"Yes," said Zain. "I don't know where or what they are, but we have to find them."  
Sasha nodded again. Ever since visiting Lumina Pillar, she no longer had any doubts about her destiny; she was one of the Chosen Eight. "And there are six more of the Chosen Eight, too."  
"We have to find them, too," Zain agreed.  
They stood for a moment. Finally, Sasha asked, "So where should we go next?"  
Zain looked off into the distance, in the direction of Primera. "Our time in Primera is done," he said. "We found Lumina Pillar; now it's time to move on."  
He looked at her. "The only town we can directly get to from here is Duplora. We should go there next."  
"Okay."  
They started walking. As they traveled back to Primera, Zain said, "That Turbo Cat was guarding Lumina Pillar, and he was sent by the new evil. This means that the other Sanctuaries may be guarded also, by even worse enemies."  
"Maybe," Sasha agreed. "But by then, we might have found a few others ourselves. And even if we haven't, as long as we're together, we'll overcome anything."  
Zain smiled, her high spirits lifting his own. "You're right," he agreed. And then he said the words that had become special to both of them. "Together we'll make it."

**_To be continued..._**  



	12. Earthbound 202X Part 12

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 12: And Then There Were Four**

Guy scowled at the bus sign, which read, "Grayhand Bus Service has been temporarily suspended. We apologize for any inconvenience."  
_"Inconvenience" doesn't BEGIN to cover it,_ Guy thought bitterly. _It's because of THIS that I'm still stuck in Duplora, while the person I'm supposed to find and protect is somewhere in Primera._  
After the bus repairman had finally given up trying to fix the bus, the bus company had sent another to replace it. But before it even arrived, a worker had put up the new signs to replace the bus schedules, and bus service had been canceled.  
Guy had tried everything after that to get to Primera, but all of his attempts had failed. He had even tried hitchhiking, but with the Madness going around, people were too afraid to pick up random strangers on the side of the road.  
Now, Guy had been forced to spend the last three nights sleeping in an alley near the bus station. He had had little to eat. He could not even get a hotel room, because if he accessed his money, his father would probably notice, and then he would find out that his son was no longer in Troisemburg. If that happened, Guy would be in deep trouble.

At least he was not alone. Ever since he had befriended Karen and Neil on his first night in Duplora, the three of them had stayed together. Guy was happy to have friends his own age again; he had not had any of those since his time in the Snow Wood Boarding School.  
Guy had grown rather fond of Karen and Neil. He didn't mind being stuck in Duplora with them; the only thing that frustrated him was his promise to Samuel Maybee, which so far he had not done a very good job of fulfilling.  
Over the last two days after meeting them for the first time, Karen and Neil had started to look to Guy for guidance. Guy found out that they used to live in the orphanage in the northern part of Duplora, and now that they had left it, they didn't seem to know for certain where they should go. Karen wanted to find her parents, wherever and whoever they were, but she didn't have the slightest idea where to look. Guy found the situation almost ironic, because he didn't know too much about the outside world himself, and yet he had now met two people who knew even less about it.  
Of course, he had not told them that he was the son of the wealthiest man in the world. Karen and Neil had no money, and if they knew that Guy had loads of it stored in various bank accounts, they might see him differently than they did now. Guy didn't want them to think of him as a "rich kid."  
He turned and looked at them; they were standing behind him, looking at the bus schedule also. Karen was very nice, but she was usually quiet and withdrawn most of the time; Guy suspected that she hadn't had many friends in her life before meeting him. However, whenever she looked at Neil, her eyes shone with adoration. There was something about that look that made it specially reserved for Neil; Guy wondered if it might be love, but he didn't really know. In any case, it wasn't his business.  
Neil, on the other hand, was more talkative, and he was kind to everyone, especially to Karen. There was something protective in the way he looked at her, as if he had appointed himself to guard her from all harm. Yet Guy had a gut feeling, although he didn't know why, that Karen was far more dangerous than Neil could ever be.

"I guess we're stuck in Duplora for another day," said Karen.  
Guy nodded. "It appears to be so," he replied.  
Karen smiled slightly; she thought the way Guy spoke was funny.  
"I'm sorry," Neil told him. "I know you want to go to that Sasha person you told us about, and you're stuck here."  
Guy looked down solemnly. But then he raised his head again and smiled. "If I am stranded in Duplora," he said, "there is no one else that I would rather be stranded with."  
Karen and Neil both smiled at this. "I'm glad I met you, Guy," Karen said sincerely.  
"So am I," Neil added. "You're a good friend, Guy."  
Guy smiled back. He might not be able to fulfill his promise, but there WERE positives to his situation.

They sat on the benches in the bus station, having nothing else to do. The other people who had also been waiting there for bus service three nights ago had long since gone away; however, Guy, Karen and Neil had nowhere to go. Guy wished he could safely access his accounts so that the three of them could be much better off, but since his father monitored all of Orange Enterprises' accounts closely, such a thing was out of the question.  
"Is there anything at all that you remember about your parents, Karen?" Guy asked.  
Karen sadly shook her head. "They left me at the orphanage when I was one year old," she replied. "I can't remember anything about them. I dream about them sometimes, but it's not really them; it's just them as I see them, them as I want them to be. Kind, caring parents who still love me."  
She tried to hide it, but Guy saw the tears in her eyes, and he decided not to inquire further. "How about you, Neil? Do you know anything about your parents?"  
"Mine died when I was four years old," Neil answered. "I remember a little about them, but not too much. They argued with each other a lot, but they only showed me kindness. I wish I knew more about them."  
Guy stopped talking; maybe this wasn't such a good topic. Then Karen looked at him and asked, "What about YOUR parents, Guy? What are they like?"  
Surprised, Guy looked down. He had asked them about their parents, so now it was only fair that he tell them about his.  
He looked up at them, taking off his glasses. "I know nothing about my mother," he answered. "I do not even know if she still lives. All I know is that her eyes were dark blue, as this one is." He pointed to his left eye.  
He paused for a moment. "...My father..." he continued hesitantly. "...When I think about him, it makes me wish with all of my heart that your parents are whom you hope them to be, Karen... For my father is not."  
Karen looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, Guy," she said. "I shouldn't have asked."  
"I inquired about yours," replied Guy, putting his glasses back on. "It is only fair that you know about mine."  
Neil stood up. "Why don't we just forget about this parents business, and go for a walk? It's a nice day outside."  
Guy stood up as well. "That is a most excellent idea," he said. "I am all for it."  
"Me too," Karen agreed, standing up. "We should be having fun, not sitting around this old station."  
Together, they left the deserted bus station.

They walked up one of the streets of Duplora. "Where should we go?" asked Neil.  
"Anywhere, as long as it's not the North Side," said Karen. "The orphanage is up there."  
"It would be preferable to avoid that location," Guy agreed.  
Neil looked around. "The weather is beautiful today," he commented. "You'd almost think that there was no Madness here, with weather like this."  
Suddenly, there was a loud clap of thunder in the sky, and for a moment, Guy saw a spaceship pass overhead, at a very high speed. Other people saw it as well, and they started running away; with the Madness going around Hawkland, anything else out of the ordinary couldn't be a good thing.  
Karen looked at Neil, feeling apprehensive. "Neil," she said, "that sounded just like--"  
There was a flash of light, and a figure materialized in the center of the street. It was a fat man with dirty blond hair, who wore a brown suit that was too small for him. Guy stared at the man; he had never seen him before.  
Karen, however, recognized him immediately, and she started trembling in fear. Neil also recognized him; he moved in front of Karen, giving a hint that he would let no one touch her.  
Mister P looked at them and smiled a very evil smile. "Well," he said insidiously, "it looks like the coordinates that Master Giaguo gave me are quite correct." He laughed, staring straight at Karen. "I've found you again, my dear."  
Guy looked from Karen to the fat man, wondering what was going on. "Who is this?" he asked.  
Paralyzed with fear, Karen falteringly said, "M-Mister P..."  
Mister P looked at Neil next. "And I remember you too. You're the little rat that robbed me of my prize. I almost got in trouble because of you... And I hate getting in trouble."  
He advanced on them. "It's time to finish the job I started, Karen," he said maliciously. He flicked his right wrist, and a long, sharp blade slid out of his sleeve. "The master wants you, and it's my job to give him what he wants."  
Guy didn't understand what was happening, but he did understand that Mister P meant to harm Karen, or worse. He leapt in front of Karen and Neil and pulled the Equalizer gun out of his pocket, taking aim at the enemy. "If you come near her, you will die," he said with conviction.  
Mister P stared at Guy. "You vaguely remind me of someone..." he said thoughtfully. "Someone who got in my way thirty years ago, along with HIM."  
He paused, as if remembering something. "Yes, HIM," he repeated. "No matter what I did back then, HE always got in my way... HE always stopped me. Carpainter, Monotoli, even Giygas... Every time I made something for myself, HE was always there to rip it away."  
His gaze fixed itself on Karen. "Even now, he stares at me through your eyes, taunting me, getting in my way." His eyes became filled with unmitigated hatred as he stared at Karen. "I hate him. I hate him! I will destroy every last remnant of him in this world, including YOU!"  
Karen looked away from him. As the object of such powerful hatred, she felt more frightened than she had ever felt before.  
Knowing that Mister P was about to try and hurt Karen, Guy fired his gun.  
The beam glanced off of an invisible shield... And headed right back at Guy. Surprised, Guy dove out of the way as the beam burned through the space where he had been standing and shattered the window he had been standing in front of.  
"Fool," Mister P spat. "You didn't honestly think that I would come here and leave myself open to attack?"  
As Guy struggled to his feet, Mister P flicked his left wrist, and a small gun-like device slid out of his left sleeve. He pointed it at Guy and fired; unable to dodge, Guy was struck by the beam.  
Guy suddenly felt his body go numb. Unable to move, he slumped back to the ground, and he could only watch as Mister P threw back his head and laughed. "Guy!" Karen cried.  
"Paralysis beam," said Mister P with a laugh. "Not quite as effective as psychically-induced paralysis, but effective enough. You won't be able to move for at least five minutes."  
He turned back to Karen. "Now that THAT little interruption is over, we can get down to the real business."  
Neil charged him. "I won't let you touch her!" he cried.  
"Oh, please," said Mister P nonchalantly. He raised his paralysis gun and shot Neil at point-blank range; Neil's body went numb, and he fell to the ground.  
"I'll deal with you next," Mister P promised him. "You caused me to fail last time, and I don't forget things like that." Neil, unable to move, could only watch.  
Mister P looked at his weapon and smiled. "I should have thought of this paralysis gun last time," he said. "It would have saved me a lot of trouble."  
Karen, terrified, backed up until she hit the wall behind her. Mister P grinned evilly, and he raised his weapon and shot her with it as well. Karen felt her body go numb, and she collapsed.  
Mister P strolled up to her and crouched down, hunkering his fat body close to her. Karen stared at him fearfully, unable to do anything.  
Laughing, Mister P prodded Karen's cheek with his blade, right where he had cut her before. "This was almost too easy," he said. "I only wish HE could see this right now. That pig's butt thought he had hidden you away from me forever... But he was wrong."  
As Karen looked into his evil gaze, something awakened within her. Suddenly, a jumble of thoughts bombarded her mind, and she suddenly realized that the thoughts were coming from Mister P. Somehow, she was hearing Mister P's thoughts!  
It wasn't very clear, though; it was almost like a television set with extremely poor reception. She tried to sort through the "static," to pick up something she could use...  
And then she found something. She looked up at Mister P, and found that she could still talk. "Your real name..." she said, "is Pokey Minch."  
Mister P's eyes widened. "You... How do you know that name?" he demanded. "How can you possibly know that name?"  
Karen felt a little bolder, having visibly affected him. She tried to sort even harder through his thoughts, to somehow use them against him. "Your father is... Aloysius Minch," she said, finding the name. "He... died 25 years ago. Your mother is... Lardna Minch. Almost... 30 years ago, she eloped with a man named... Mr. Prettyman. You have a younger brother... Picky, who lives in... Onett, Eagleland. He's the mayor there."  
Mister P backed away from her slightly. "How can you know these things?" he demanded. "There's no way you can know these things! It's not possible!"  
And then Karen found it. The thought was surrounded by an intense wall of hatred, and she couldn't fully see it. She tugged at the thought, trying to pull it into clarity. "My father's name," she said, "is... N..."  
Then Mister P finally realized the truth, and remembered what Giaguo had said about her. He backed away from Karen as if she were an infectious disease. "You're a telepath!" he cried. "Just like your mother! I don't believe this!"  
He glared at her, his eyes filling with hatred. "You won't see any more of MY thoughts, you disgusting telepath," he spat.  
Suddenly the thoughts disappeared from Karen's mind. She cried out in pain as the thought of her father's name, that she had been holding onto, was torn away from her.  
"Unfortunately for you," said Mister P, "not even a telepath can see into the mind of one who knows how to protect his mind."  
He advanced on her again. "I've lingered here long enough," he said. "Master Giaguo wants you, and he's going to get you." He smiled. "I heard he has a special kind of torture for telepaths; I hear it's excruciatingly painful. He's never been able to use it on an Earthling before; I'll be rewarded for this."  
Karen shut her eyes. There was nothing more she could do; it was over for her.  
Abruptly a voice rang out, some distance away. "Stay away from her."

Surprised, Karen opened her eyes and tried to look at whoever had spoken. She found that she could move her head slightly; the paralysis effect must be beginning to wear off.  
A boy with blond hair and bright green eyes stood in the middle of the street, hands clenched at his sides; strangely enough, he wore a pair of aviator goggles around his head like a headband. At his side stood a pretty girl with long brown hair and sky-blue eyes. She stood resolutely by his side, and Karen had the feeling that the girl could and would instantly back the boy up in a dire situation.  
Mister P turned to them. "Who the heck are you?"  
The boy's green eyes narrowed. "If you serve the new evil, then I am your enemy," he said. "I am Zain Maximillian, leader of the Chosen Eight."  
Upon hearing this, Mister P staggered backward in shock. "You're... him... The one Kaatz mentioned..."  
Then Mister P looked at the girl he was with, and he was overcome by even more shock as he recognized her features from the master's image files. "And you..." he said, almost dumbfounded. "Target Priority One, Sasha Maybee..."  
The girl's eyes widened. "You... You work for the dark one!" she cried.  
Getting over his shock, Mister P smiled. "'The dark one,'" he repeated with a sneer. "That's one I've never heard before."  
His eyes glinted evilly as his smile widened. "So here you are, all in one place," he said, pleased. "Target Priority Three, Target Priority One, AND the chosen leader. Now I can kill three birds with one stone, and Master Giaguo will reward me even more."  
Zain stepped back in surprise. "Giaguo... So that's the name of the enemy!"  
"Indeed it is," said Mister P. "This planet should learn it well, for soon it will be the name of the one that rules this place!"  
Zain shook his head with conviction. "Not if I can help it."  
Karen suddenly felt the feeling return to her body, weakly. Struggling, she managed to sit up.  
Noticing her movement, Zain looked at her, and their eyes met.  
Suddenly, to Karen's surprise, Zain staggered backward, almost as if he had been hit by a feeling of deja vu.  
Mister P used Zain's disorientation as an opportunity to attack. He raised his paralysis gun and fired.  
Zain was hit by the paralysis beam, and he collapsed to the ground. "No!" Karen cried, struggling to get up. Nearby, Guy was doing his best to get up as well, as was Neil.  
"Zain!" the girl named Sasha cried. She knelt next to him, trying to help him up.  
Mister P grinned. "For a chosen leader, you're not very powerful," he said. He aimed his weapon and shot Sasha with it as well, watching in satisfaction as she collapsed on top of Zain.  
Using the wall to brace herself, Karen staggered to her feet. She had to do something to stop Mister P. She attempted to use her PSI, but for some reason she was having trouble concentrating.  
Mister P bent down over Sasha and hauled her limp body off of Zain. "I don't know how I got so lucky, to find Target Priority One like this," he said, laughing. "Master Giaguo will finally get his wish... His 'trophy.'"  
Unable to focus properly, Karen could only watch. _I guess it's over for all of us,_ she thought.  
To her surprise, Zain spoke. "He will get no such thing," he said, a hint of fury in his voice.  
Mister P's jaw dropped as Zain sat up and got to his feet. "How can you still move?" he demanded. "I paralyzed you!"  
Zain turned to him, and to Karen's surprise, his eyes had become a burning red. "You will die before you lay another finger on Sasha," he said angrily. Karen's eyes widened as she suddenly felt an enormous power build up, and pent-up energy began to crackle around Zain.  
"You CAN'T still move!" Mister P cried in disbelief. He shot Zain again with his paralysis gun; the beam stopped about an inch in front of Zain and was dispersed.  
Karen watched as Zain raised his hand and spread his fingers at Mister P. "I am giving you one warning," he said, his red eyes glaring at Mister P. "Get out of here, or I will destroy you."  
"Your psychic power can't harm me," said Mister P. "I'm protected against it."  
Zain smiled. "Then it shouldn't matter to you if I do this! PSI Hyperion Alpha!"  
Suddenly Karen saw a brilliant solar energy attack explode forth from Zain's hand and fly at Mister P. It collided with his portable psychic shield and was dissipated, and there was a high-pitched whine as Mister P's shield generator shorted out and stopped working.  
Mister P looked at his shield generator in surprise. "This can't be!" he cried. "This shield can block Omega-level PSI!"  
"Guess you should take it back for a refund, then," Zain said, his eyes still smouldering red.  
Mister P looked up at Zain, and suddenly realized that if the boy attacked again, there was a good chance that he would not survive, now that his shield was gone. He backed away, reaching for his communicator, to call for a transport. "You... You're just like HIM," he said, glaring at Zain. "Always getting in my way... Always stopping me from achieving greatness..."  
He looked around wildly. "I can't leave empty-handed..." he said. "I can't totally fail Master Giaguo again..."  
He found his communicator, and then he also found an idea. "Ha ha... I won't leave empty-handed," he said. "Not this time."  
When he had backed up far enough, he suddenly grabbed hold of Neil. "See you later, pig's butts!" he cried. "This one's coming with me!"  
Mister P hit a button on his communicator, and both he and Neil vanished in a flash of light.  
Karen stared in horror at what had just happened. "NEIL!" she cried.  
She ran over to where Neil had just been and fell to her knees. "No! Neil!"  
Neil had been her first friend. He had spared her from Mr. Angorage's wrath at the orphanage. He had followed her after she left the orphanage, to make sure that she was okay. He had saved her from Mister P the last time. He had given her so much... And now he was gone, snatched away by a man who hated her.  
All her life, Karen had held back her tears, refusing to cry. She did not hold them back this time. She broke down and cried, letting all of her tears come forth. Neil Willard, the person who mattered most to her, was gone.

"I'm glad to see you again, Guy," said Sasha.  
"As am I," Guy replied. "Your father sent me to protect you from the ones who are after you. I was stranded in Duplora, and unable to come to your aid. For that, I am sorry."  
"It's okay, Guy," said Sasha. "There was nothing you could do, if the buses were shut down. Besides, after I ended up in Primera, I met Zain." She looked over at him and smiled. "He's my salvation."  
Zain looked down, embarrassed.  
Guy nodded. "Perhaps... You do not need me after all, then," he said, looking down.  
Sasha shook her head. "That's not true. We need all the help we can get. Besides, Zain said that you're a member of the Chosen Eight."  
Guy looked at Zain. "Excuse me?"  
Zain nodded in affirmation. "When I looked into your eyes, Guy, I had the same feeling of deja vu that I had when I saw Sasha for the first time," he said. "Since Sasha is one of the Chosen Eight, you must be, also."  
Guy stared skeptically at Zain. "Are you certain, Mr. Maximillian?" he asked. "I do not possess psychic abilities such as the ones that you and Sasha possess."  
"I'm sure of it," Zain answered. "I'm the leader, so I think that the deja vu feeling is supposed to alert me to the other members of the Chosen Eight."  
Although he was still unsure, Guy accepted this. "If you believe so, then perhaps it is true," he said. "Mr. Maximillian, you have both my help and my friendship, for as long as you desire either."  
Zain smiled. "Thanks, Guy. But the first thing you can do as my friend is to stop calling me Mr. Maximillian. Just call me Zain."  
"Very well, Zain," said Guy.  
There was something else that he didn't understand, though. "Zain, Sasha... How did you come to Duplora?" he asked. "The bus service has been canceled."  
"Well," said Sasha, "we met this nice man who was coming here. He gave us a ride, because Zain and I helped fight off some Madness creatures in Primera two days ago."  
"Oh," said Guy. "I see."  
Sasha looked at Zain. "So what do we do now, Zain?" she asked. "Where should we go?"  
Guy looked at them. "I have spent the last three nights in this town," he said. "Believe me, there is nothing in Duplora. Certainly nothing akin to these 'Sanctuaries' you explained to me about."  
"Well," said Zain, "if there's nothing in this town, then we should move on and go to Troisemburg. It's a big city; if nothing else, we can maybe find information." He looked at Sasha. "And maybe we can also find Sasha's dad. We've tried to reach him many times, but he's never answered the phone."  
Guy nodded. "If you desire to go to Troisemburg, then that is also my destination," he said. "But with the bus lines canceled, we will have to walk. Since it is approximately a two-hour drive between Duplora and Troisemburg, it will take even longer to walk that distance. We must adequately prepare before we leave."  
"Yeah," Zain agreed. "We should get more cookies, juice, and hamburgers. And I should also see about replacing that baseball bat, since my old one was broken in Primera."  
Then he looked down. "There is one more thing, though," he said.  
"What is it?" asked Sasha.  
Zain looked away, toward the girl who was still kneeling in the center of the road. "She's one of the Chosen Eight, too. Even if she wasn't, we can't just leave her."  
Guy looked at her. "I will speak with her," he said. "I know her better."

Karen couldn't even muster the motivation to move. Having cried herself out, she felt as if she wanted to die. She knelt in the middle of the street; if a car came and ran her over, it didn't even matter anymore.  
She was suddenly aware of Guy standing next to her. "...I am sorry about Neil," he said. "I too am shocked by the abruptness of his abduction."  
Karen didn't respond. She knew that Guy was trying to console her, but nothing could do that.  
Guy looked down at her. "I know how you feel," he said.  
"No you don't," Karen retorted. "Neil was my friend. He's the first person in the orphanage who ever showed me any kindness. He was my first and best friend... And now he's gone. You can't possibly know how that feels."  
"You are mistaken," said Guy. "I, too, have suffered the same loss that you have now suffered."  
Surprised, Karen looked up at him, her eyes still wet with tears. "What...?"  
"I once attended Snow Wood Boarding School, in Winters," said Guy. "While there, I befriended a girl named Kyla. She quickly became the best friend that I have ever had."  
He took off his glasses and stared at Karen. "But then, without warning of any kind, my father pulled me out of Snow Wood, and tore me away from her," he said. "I was ripped apart from the person that I care about most, the same as you have been."  
Karen stood up and looked at Guy; there were tears rolling down his cheeks. Impulsively, Karen hugged him. "I'm sorry, Guy. I didn't know."  
Suddenly her mind was assaulted by a myriad of thoughts, and she realized that they were coming from Guy. She attempted to sort through them, and found one of Guy's memories of Kyla. "...I can see her," she said. "I can see Kyla. She's very pretty."  
Guy looked at her. "What do you mean?"  
"It's like Mister P said," Karen replied. "I'm a... telepath, he called it. I don't know why, but I can read thoughts now. I suddenly started reading your thoughts, and I found one of your memories."  
"I see," said Guy. "I do not have much knowledge of telepathy, but I do know that it is a very powerful ability. It is little wonder that this Giaguo wants you."  
Karen solemnly nodded... And then she sorted out another of Guy's memories. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she looked at him in a new light. "Guy... You're the son of the owner of Orange Enterprises."  
Guy nodded back, looking a little sad. "Indeed I am," he said.  
"So when you were talking about your father... You were talking about Orangeman Orangere, the richest man in the world," said Karen. Even in the orphanage, people had heard of Orangeman Orangere.  
"He is rich only materially," Guy replied. "His heart is poorer than the poorest of paupers."  
Karen managed to decipher another of Guy's thoughts. "You... You hope that I won't see you differently because you're actually extremely wealthy," she said.  
Guy raised an eyebrow. "Do you?"  
For the first time since losing Neil, Karen managed to smile. "How much money you have means nothing to me, Guy," she said. "The only difference I see is that I now see you as an even greater friend than I did before... And that has nothing to do with money. Thank you, Guy Orangere."  
Guy smiled back. "Can you read what I am thinking right now, Karen?"  
She tried. "You're thinking that you want to help me find Neil, wherever he has been taken--" She gasped in surprise. "Is that really what you're thinking?"  
"It is," Guy replied. "You and I are going to swear an oath, Karen. Together, we are going to find the people that matter most to us, the people that we were ripped away from. I am going to find Kyla, and you are going to find Neil, wherever he has been taken. And you are going to find Neil because I am going to help you find him. Will you swear this oath with me?"  
Karen smiled. "I will swear this oath with you, Guy."  
Guy held out his hand, and Karen placed hers over it. "Together," they said simultaneously, "we swear to find the people that matter most to us. We will not stop until we do, and woe befall anyone who steps in our way."  
After they had sworn, Guy grinned. "You read my mind word for word, Karen," he said.  
Karen's smile widened. "I'm really starting to like this telepathy thing."  
She looked over at Zain and Sasha. She sorted out a few more things from Guy's mind that they had told him, and pieced together Zain and Sasha's purpose. "So..." she said, "If I'm one of these 'Chosen Eight,' I guess I should go with them."  
"Yes," Guy agreed. "Like it or not, we are part of this. I suppose it is... our destiny... to join them."  
Karen nodded. "I don't know why, but going with them seems like the right thing to do. I guess if they're on this quest, then they're going to need some help."  
She started to walk over to them, but then she turned back to Guy. "And by following them," she said, "maybe we can fulfill our oath."  
Guy smiled and nodded in agreement.  
Karen turned back to Zain and Sasha and approached them; she knew now what she had to do. She looked at Sasha, and a clutter of thoughts entered her head, coming from Sasha. Then she looked at Zain, and her eyes widened in surprise as she realized that she wasn't reading any thoughts from him. She tried harder to read his mind, but all of a sudden she drew up against a solid mental barrier. No, it wasn't solid; it was continually shifting and changing, dynamic yet never allowing passage. Karen stared at him in surprise as she realized that Zain's mind was protected by an unbreachable barrier of emotion.  
She shook it off; it didn't matter now. She faced them and said, "So when do we leave?"

**_Meanwhile..._**

Mila sat in Quincy's home, in the South End of Ellay, with Nick, Jenna, Carl, and Brian. They had managed to make it there without incident.  
That was three nights ago. Now, they were still unsure how to carry out their plan.  
"The problem is that the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang has overrun all of the abandoned parts of town," said Jenna. "If we go and look for the children, we'll definitely get caught."  
"What about the other Defenders?" asked Quincy. "Surely the four of you--"  
"FIVE of us," Brian corrected, folding his arms indignantly. Ever since Home Base had been taken over, Brian had started to consider himself a Defender.  
Quincy sighed. "Surely the FIVE of you can't be all there is," he said. "There were at least twenty Defenders."  
"The others were captured by the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang," said Carl. "They're being held within Home Base."  
Jenna nodded. "And the same thing will happen to us if they catch us."  
Quincy rubbed his eyes, feeling tired. The news of Home Base's capture by the gang had really shocked him, and he was still finding it hard to believe that it had really happened.  
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Nick and Carl went to answer it.  
When Nick opened the door, there was no one there. A note lay on the doorstep; he picked it up and brought it in.  
"It's a note," he said.  
"What does it say?" asked Jenna.  
Nick read it aloud. "To the ones who escaped our glorious conquest: If you wish the release of your fellow Home Base scum, then Dangerous Tom demands that Mila Aisengarde come to the headquarters formerly known as 'Home Base'... And give herself up."  
Upon hearing this, Mila turned pale in utter surprise and horror.

**_To be continued..._**  



	13. Earthbound 202X Part 13

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 13: The Way to Troisemburg**

There were now four of them: Zain, Sasha, Guy, and Karen. It was now the fifth day after Zain began his journey back in Primera.  
In the morning, the party went to the drugstore to stock up on supplies. Using some of the $1000 reward money that the mayor of Primera had given to him and Sasha, Zain purchased a new baseball bat. Unlike his old one, this one was made of a special aluminum alloy; Zain doubted that it would break, at least not easily.  
He also bought two halogen flashlights; one he kept for himself, and one he gave to Guy. If they had to go through any more caves, it would be preferable to have a better light than his tiny pocket flashlight.  
Sasha found a package of slingshot bullets. Each one was made of steel and roughly the size of a marble. She bought the package, thinking that the bullets would cause more damage than regular stones.  
In addition, Sasha also appointed herself to acquire food for the group. She bought more cookies and juice (since Zain's reserves of those were beginning to run low), and she also bought some store-made picnic lunches; those looked particularly appetizing. Sasha also set aside some money for hotel rooms, and for buying more food later on.  
Zain gave Guy and Karen $100 each to equip themselves with whatever they saw fit. Although Guy was embarrassed to be unable to use his own money, the others understood that he couldn't risk it. He used some of the $100 to buy fresh batteries for his Equalizer gun, as well as some spare batteries. He also bought some items that he could use as parts for his other weapon projects that he had brought with him. He saved the rest of the money for an emergency.  
The first thing that Karen did with her money was to equip herself with a weapon of some kind, because she was unarmed. After glancing around at the various things that could be improvised as a weapon, she decided on a thick and sturdy frying pan. When she held it in her hand, it felt completely natural, as if she were used to wielding one. She also bought some new clothes for herself in another store, to replace her orphanage uniform; she decided on a pair of navy blue shorts, a white blouse, and a comfortable pair of women's running shoes. After buying all of this, she only had about 6 dollars left.  
Once they had all of the supplies they needed, they met up again on the eastern outskirts of Duplora. It was time to begin the trip to Troisemburg.

"Is everyone ready?" asked Zain. "Do we have everything we need?"  
The other three nodded in unison. "Okay then," Zain continued. "It's time to go."  
Guy spoke up. "To reach Troisemburg, we must travel through a tunnel. Then, we must cross the forest meadow. Since it requires approximately two hours to drive this distance, it will require much more time to walk." He paused for a moment. "It is going to be a long way."  
Sasha shook her head. "Well, it's the only way. We have no choice but to walk."  
Zain nodded in agreement. "From what you told us, Guy, I don't think we'll get anywhere by trying to hitchhike."  
"Your thinking would be correct," Guy agreed, remembering how his hitchhiking attempts had failed miserably. "I was merely making certain that everyone knows the extent of this trip we are about to undertake."  
"And there will probably be lots of Madness creatures out in the forest meadow," said Karen, holding out her frying pan. "I don't think we'll get to Troisemburg without a fight or two."  
"But there's four of us," said Sasha, smiling. "As long as we stay together and work together, anything that attacks us won't stand a chance."  
"Right," Zain agreed. "We have to watch out for each other." As he said this, his gaze drifted toward Sasha.  
Everyone nodded at this. Zain grinned. "Now let's get going."

They started walking east, in the direction of the tunnel, and managed to reach it without incident.  
When they got there, however, they found the tunnel blocked off by construction barriers. A sign on one of the barriers read, "Tunnel closed due to cave-in."  
Zain's jaw dropped. "A cave-in?"  
"Oh, no..." said Sasha dejectedly.  
Guy raised his hand to his chin, thinking. "This could explain the reason for the cancellation of the Grayhand bus service," he mused. "The main headquarters of Grayhand in this country is located in Quattro City... Which is far to the northeast, on the other side of this tunnel."  
Karen stared at the closed-up tunnel in disgust. "So now what?" she asked. "How are we going to get to Troisemburg now?"  
"Is there some other way?" asked Sasha.  
"There are none that I know of," Guy replied.  
"There has to be some other way," said Zain. "There can't be only one way to Troisemburg."  
Sasha looked back toward Duplora. "Maybe we can go back and ask someone if there's another way," she suggested.  
At this, Karen sighed in frustration. She didn't want to go back into town, now that they had left. She had become somewhat impatient after yesterday's events; she was anxious about finding Neil, and she did not want to spend time messing around.  
Just then, Zain saw a mole nearby, not far from the entrance to the tunnel. It sat in its hole, its upper half poking out. Getting an idea, Zain said, "Or maybe..."  
He approached the mole, glancing to see whether or not it was a creature of the Madness. Amazingly, it wasn't; its eyes did not possess the red glaze of the Madness.  
Zain smiled and greeted the mole. "Hi, how are you?" Guy looked at Zain as if he had gone totally insane. Karen merely watched, unsurprised; she had learned about using PSI to speak with animals by reading Sasha's thoughts.  
The mole waved one of its digging claws and returned the greeting. (I'm not too bad, myself,) it replied.  
"That's good to hear," said Sasha, joining the conversation. "I'm glad you haven't been affected by the Madness."  
Guy looked from Zain to Sasha, wondering if they had both lost their minds. Because he lacked the gift of PSI, he was unable to communicate with animals, and so he could not hear the mole's words.  
(You mean the red darkness?) said the mole. (No, I'm glad to say that I somehow escaped its influence. Most of my friends were not so lucky; they only care about death and killing now.)  
Karen, who had been using her PSI to listen to the conversation, spoke up impatiently. "This tunnel's caved in. Is there another way to get through to the meadow on the other side?"  
The mole looked at her. (Well, yes there is, actually.)  
Zain's, Sasha's, and Karen's eyes widened. Guy simply stared in complete confusion.  
The mole pointed to the north with one of its claws. (If you go that way, you'll find another tunnel like this one. Only... It's older.)  
"Another tunnel?" said Sasha. "I didn't know there was another one."  
(I don't think humans like you use it anymore,) the mole said. (It's closed on the outside, although I can easily tunnel in.)  
Zain smiled. "Well, thank you very much," he said gratefully. "Thanks to you, we can maybe continue."  
(You're welcome,) said the mole. (Did anyone ever tell you that you have nice eyes?)  
Zain looked down, embarrassed. "Some have said that."  
He turned around, and Guy saw with surprise that Zain's eyes had turned blue.  
Sasha and Karen turned around as well, and they walked back over to Guy. Guy watched as Zain's eyes faded back to green. "What were you doing?" Guy asked. "Were you actually communicating with that animal?"  
"Well, yes," said Sasha. "PSI lets you do that, you know."  
Guy looked down. "I do not know," he said. "I do not possess PSI powers."  
Sasha covered her mouth with her hand, shocked. "I... I completely forgot!" she cried. "I forgot you don't have PSI."  
"...No, I do not," Guy repeated sadly. He felt left out; of the four of them, he was the only one who didn't have miraculous powers.  
Karen smiled at him. "You don't need them, Guy," she said sincerely. "You have a gift all of your own. After Mister P took Neil away, you gave me back my hope."  
Guy looked up at her and smiled back. "...Thank you."  
"It's true," said Karen. "Besides, we can't fulfill our oath if you go around dejected like that."  
Guy nodded. "You are correct, Karen."  
Sasha blinked, puzzled. "...Oath? What are you talking about?"  
Karen turned to her. "It's between me and Guy," she said. "It's private."  
Sasha sighed. "Fine, be like that." She looked at Zain and smiled warmly at him. "Besides, Zain and I have our own secret oath."  
Zain smiled back at her. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that," he agreed.  
Karen grinned triumphantly. "You mean 'Together we'll make it.'"  
Both Sasha and Zain stared at her in surprise. "That's not fair," said Sasha. "You can read our minds."  
"No," replied Karen, pointing at Sasha. "I can only read YOUR mind. His mind is... protected."  
Zain scratched his head. "Huh? My mind is protected? What do you mean--"  
He was suddenly interrupted by Sasha bumping into him. He looked at her in surprise, and saw that her sky-blue eyes were glazed over.  
"Zain..." she said, sounding as if she were somewhere else. "Something terrible is about to happen..."  
Suddenly they heard a malicious-sounding growl, and Sasha snapped out of her reverie. The four of them turned to look at the source of the sound.  
The mole that they had just talked to was completely out of its hole now, facing them. As they watched, it growled again... And they saw the Madness in its eyes.  
"No!" Sasha cried.  
"It must have been affected almost immediately after you spoke to it," Guy observed.  
Karen staggered backward as her mind was suddenly assaulted by a thought so powerful that it drowned out all other thoughts. The thought came from the mole, and it was only one word. _KILL..._  
She fell to her knees in pain. She had never felt such a malign intent before, not even from Mister P. _So this is what the Madness is like,_ she thought. _It's almost enough to make ME go mad._ She could barely move under the stress of that thought; for the first time since discovering her ability, Karen regretted being a telepath.  
Guy noticed what had happened to her. "Karen!" he cried. "What is the matter?"  
"I... I can't move," she answered weakly. "It... It wants to kill us... That's all it's thinking."  
Zain and Sasha didn't notice Karen's predicament; the mole occupied all of their attention as it dashed forward and attacked, attempting to use its sharp digging claws to cut Zain to ribbons.  
Zain was ready for the attack. As the mole slashed at him, he leapt over it, evading the attack and ending up behind the mole. As he did this, he brought out his new baseball bat, and after landing from his jump, he whirled around to face the enemy. There was no hesitation in him this time; he had learned that lesson from the dog in Primera.  
As Zain turned to counter the mole's attack, Sasha fitted a slingshot bullet to her slingshot, and fired it at the mole. The tiny steel sphere struck the mole with great force, and knocked it senseless.  
Zain lifted his bat to take a swing, but there was no need; the red of the Madness disappeared from the mole's eyes. After looking around, dazed and confused, it burrowed into the ground and was lost from sight.  
Sasha put her slingshot away, pleased. "Those steel slingshot bullets work really good," she said.  
"I'll say," Zain agreed, putting his bat away. "I'm glad you bought those."  
Then they noticed Karen, kneeling on the ground, and Guy, watching over her in concern. "Karen, what happened?" asked Zain. He wondered if Karen had been injured, even though the mole hadn't even gone near her.  
Karen looked up weakly. "I... I could read its mind," she said. "There was nothing there, nothing at all... Except a powerful urge to kill."  
Sasha nodded. "So THAT'S why animals with the Madness suddenly attack people without being provoked," she said, partly to herself.  
Karen hung her head. "Maybe this telepathy isn't such a good thing after all," she said sadly. "That animal's urge to kill was so strong that I was... overwhelmed. I couldn't even move, let alone help in the fight. If this is how it's going to be with every Madness creature we come up against... Then I'm useless..."  
"That is incorrect," Guy said. "You have only been aware of your telepathic abilities since yesterday. You cannot expect to master them within a single day." He smiled at her. "Karen, you are being too hard on yourself. I am certain that in time, with practice, you will be able to block such thoughts, or perhaps even endure them with ease."  
"He's right," Zain agreed. "Besides, can't you just, maybe, 'shut off' your telepathy, so that you won't read anything? There would be no way that thoughts like that could affect you, if you're not even reading them."  
Karen grinned sheepishly, feeling better. "To tell you the truth," she said, "I haven't even tried to 'shut off' my telepathy. I'll try it now."  
She looked at Guy, and as usual, a flood of thoughts entered her mind from him. _Well, it won't hurt to try,_ Karen thought.  
She closed her eyes and concentrated. In her mind, Karen imagined herself building a wall between her thoughts and the thoughts of others... A wall that would keep external thoughts out of her mind so that she couldn't see or hear them. Karen imagined herself as she used to be before yesterday, before she had realized her telepathic abilities.  
Suddenly Karen realized that Guy's thoughts were gone. She could not read them at all.  
Surprised, she turned to Sasha, trying to read her thoughts. She could not.  
Then she turned to Zain, and she could not even sense the strange barrier of emotion that she knew was wrapped around his mind.  
Karen smiled. "I... I did it!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "I shut off my telepathy! I can't read thoughts anymore!"  
"That's great," said Zain. "Now the Madness creatures won't affect you like that anymore."  
Then Sasha posed a question. "Can you turn it back on?" she asked.  
"I hope so," Karen replied, not entirely certain. _I was able to turn it off,_ she thought to herself. _I should be able to turn it back on._ Yet there was some doubt; she didn't know a lot about her ability, and there was always a possibility that it would not work.  
She concentrated again. This time Karen envisioned the "wall" that she had built to close herself off from all of the thoughts that were not her own. She envisioned herself smashing that wall to pieces, so that she could see those thoughts once more.  
Abruptly the thoughts returned, from Guy and Sasha. She looked around, elated. "I did it," she said. "I turned it back on."  
Guy grinned. "So then, what am I thinking?" he asked.  
Karen looked at him. "You're thinking that with time and practice, my skills as a telepath will greatly improve."  
Guy's grin widened. "That is precisely what I am thinking."  
Zain turned to Sasha, concerned about something. "Sasha, you were acting strange before that mole attacked. It was almost like you knew what was going to happen."  
"I... I don't know what happened to me," Sasha answered. "I suddenly had this horrible feeling, that something terrible was about to happen. I knew I had to do something about it, so I tried to warn you."  
Zain smiled. "Well, I'm glad you did warn me," he said. "If you hadn't, that mole might have sneak attacked us, and then something terrible really WOULD have happened."  
He scratched his head, thinking. "You know what I think, Sasha? I think that your Premonition power IS still working somehow. That would explain why you've been having these sixth sense feelings."  
Sasha blinked. "But how?" she asked. "There's a pseal on it. It's blocked."  
Zain shrugged. "I don't know anything about pseals," he said. "But maybe your Premonition is actually just PARTIALLY blocked, and it's still able to operate in some way."  
"I don't know," said Sasha. "I'll have to ask Dad about it... If I ever get to see him again..."  
"You'll see him again," Zain assured her. "He works in Troisemburg, right? We'll just track him down once we get there."  
Sasha smiled and was about to reply when Guy interrupted. "Zain, perhaps we should continue onward and locate this other tunnel that the animal spoke of," he suggested. "The longer we remain in one place, the more likely it is that other creatures of the Madness will find us."  
"I guess you're right," Zain agreed. "We can't stand around all day anyway; we have to get to Troisemburg."  
"The mole said it was to the north," said Sasha. "Let's go and look."  
Zain nodded, and he turned to Karen. "Karen, if you've figured out how to 'shut off' your telepathy, maybe you should do that for now. If we run into any more Madness creatures, you'll get hurt again if you don't."  
Karen nodded in agreement. "That would probably be a good idea," she said. "I don't want to feel anything like that ever again."  
The four of them turned and moved off to the north, away from the closed-down tunnel.

After about a half hour, they reached it. "This must be it," Guy stated.  
The tunnel was similar to the other one, but it appeared to be much older. It was sealed shut by a large wooden barrier that covered the entire opening. Nailed onto the barrier was a large sign that said "DO NOT ENTER" in large red letters.  
Karen looked at it. "I don't think this one's been used for a long time," she remarked.  
It certainly looked that way. There was a paved road leading into the tunnel, but the road ended a short distance away from the tunnel's opening. In addition, the road was cracked and pitted with age; weeds sprouted through the cracks, making the road almost overgrown.  
Guy thought for a moment. "This tunnel must have existed before the one that is currently used," he said. "Perhaps it is even the original tunnel, and the other one was constructed later. In any case, this one is no longer in use."  
Sasha looked at Guy. "If it's a lot older than the other one, then maybe this one is caved in too."  
"That is certainly a possibility," Guy agreed, "but we cannot tell."  
"Since we don't know if it's caved in or not," said Zain, "we have to try it."  
"But it's blocked off," said Sasha. "We can't get in."  
Karen smiled mischievously. "I'll take care of that." She stepped in front of the wooden barrier, raised her hand at it, and concentrated. "PSI Fire Alpha!"  
Under Karen's psychic attack, the wood caught fire and soon burned away. Her smile widened; other than her telepathy, she had not had an opportunity to use her powers since her first encounter with Mister P.  
"Well, that worked," said Zain.  
With the barrier gone, the four of them could now see into the tunnel. It was pitch black inside, and they could not see anything.  
"It must be caved in!" said Sasha. "There's no light at the other end!"  
"The absence of light does not mean anything," Guy said. "The tunnel may be curved, and we may not be able to see the other end from here."  
"In any case, we have to check," Zain declared. "Let's go inside and see if we can get to the other end."  
Rummaging through his backpack, he pulled out the halogen flashlight he had bought in Duplora. Guy got his flashlight out also. "I'm glad I bought these," said Zain. "I didn't think they'd come in handy so soon."  
Zain turned to the others. "We have to be careful in here," he advised. "This tunnel was closed off for a long time; who knows what kinds of things might have moved in? And if any of them have the Madness, then it'll be even worse. So we have to be careful in here, and we have to stay together and not get separated."  
The other three nodded in agreement. "Okay," said Zain. "Let's go in." He turned and entered the tunnel, using his flashlight to search for any threats.  
Sasha moved up and walked next to him. "You really sound like a leader, Zain," she said.  
Zain looked at her. "Really?"  
She nodded. "Really."  
Zain smiled. "Well, I hope I can be a good leader."  
"You don't have to hope to be one," said Sasha. "You already are."  
The group continued into the tunnel, and soon enough, they could no longer see the light from outside.

**_Meanwhile..._**

"That should just about do it," said Jeff triumphantly.  
Kyla looked at their completed work. With all three of them working together, they had finally been able to repair the Instant Revitalizing Device. All of the dents had been hammered out, and Jeff had fixed everything that was wrong with it.  
"Now we can get a good night's sleep in a few seconds," said Apple Man.  
"That's one down," said Jeff, "and a bunch of stuff to go." He looked over at all of the broken equipment in the rest of the lab.  
"What are we fixing next, Jeff?" asked Kyla.  
Jeff looked over at the flying saucer-like device in the other end of the lab. "I think the next thing we should do is finish the rebuilding of the Sky Runner," he said. "It's just a hunch, but I have a feeling that we may need it eventually."  
"Okay then," she said. "If you, me, and Dad work together on it, we'll have it done in no time."  
"You're right," Jeff agreed. "Especially with your help, Kyla. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to fix the Instant Revitalizing Device."  
Apple Man picked up his toolbox. "Let's get started on it."  
They were about to go over and begin working again when there was a loud knock on the door that led outside.  
Jeff looked over at the door. "Who could that be?" he asked. "No one else lives in this area."  
Kyla looked at him. "What if it's one of the enemy?" she asked. "What if they've come to kill you?" She still remembered what that man, Kaatz, had said about Jeff.  
"If that were true, I don't think they'd take the time to knock," said Jeff. "Still, you have a point, Kyla."  
He got out his Gaia Beam Version 3.0 and readied it. Once he was adequately prepared, he slowly approached the door and opened it.  
Of all of the things Kyla expected to see, she had not expected this. A tall young man with black hair stood before them. There was an air of confidence and calmness about him, as if he knew exactly what he was doing.  
"I'm looking for Dr. Jeff Andonuts," said the stranger.  
Jeff lowered his gun. "That would be me."  
The young man smiled with relief. "My name is Deckard Petersen," he said. "I came a long way to find you. I need your help, Dr. Andonuts."

**_To be continued..._**  



	14. Earthbound 202X Part 14

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 14: The Abandoned Tunnel and Beyond**

On the mothership, Mister P entered the chamber of the master. "Master Giaguo, I have returned," he announced.  
Part of the rear wall swiveled around to reveal Giaguo's tank. "And have you taken care of Target Priority Three?" he asked, his black eyes staring expectantly at Mister P.  
Mister P looked down. "...No," he answered. "I failed to capture her."  
Giaguo's eyes narrowed. "...Your ineptitude disappoints me," he said, clearly displeased.  
Mister P didn't meet the alien's gaze. "She's also starting to realize her abilities as a telepath."  
The master's eyes narrowed even further. "How much did she discover from your mind, Mister P? Did she learn of our plans?"  
"No," Mister P answered, shaking his head. "She started figuring out personal information about me, like my real name. Once I realized what she was doing, I used those mental protections you taught me, and blocked her."  
Giaguo paused for a moment. "...At least you did SOMETHING right," he finally said.  
"I also managed to capture that kid who interfered with me last time," Mister P added. "I had him put into a holding tank like the rest."  
"What does that matter?" Giaguo asked. "The one who stopped you last time is a mere human. Your capturing of him is irrelevant. Because of your failure, I have lost Target Priority Three."  
Mister P raised an eyebrow. "I thought you could sense where she is through her telepathy."  
"I could at one time," said the alien. "Either she has learned to mask her power, or disable it, because I can no longer sense her location. Occasionally, I can sense her for a moment, but she disappears before I can pinpoint where she is."  
He glared at Mister P. "In any case, your failure has left me VERY disappointed in you, Pokey."  
Mister P gulped, starting to feel afraid. The only reason he was still alive, let alone a high-ranking officer, was because Giaguo thought he was useful. If the master began to believe otherwise...  
"To redeem myself," he said carefully, "I have some information for you, Master Giaguo."  
"Oh? And what kind of information?"  
Mister P smiled slightly, feeling more confident. "I ran into Target Priority One."  
Giaguo's eyes widened. "What? Are you certain?"  
Mister P nodded. "She matched your image files exactly... And she already knows about you, probably from her ability to see the future." He laughed. "She referred to you as 'the dark one.'"  
The alien chuckled, his laughter echoing throughout the room. "'The dark one?' I find that rather endearing." He paused for a moment. "I assume that you encountered her in Duplora, then."  
"Yes, Master Giaguo," answered Mister P. "I encountered her, along with the 'chosen leader.'"  
At this, Giaguo's surprise was clearly evident, despite the fact that he could not really make human facial expressions. "WHAT?"  
"It's true," Mister P assured him. "He clearly knew who you were, and he called himself the leader of the 'Chosen Eight.'"  
"Leader of the Chosen Eight?" Giaguo repeated, his surprise wearing off.  
Mister P nodded. "His name is Zain Maximillian. It's because of him that I failed my mission."  
"How so?"  
"He protected the targets. I shot him with my paralysis gun, but it didn't even affect him. When I tried to capture Target Priority One, he became very angry and attacked me with some strange psychic power." Mister P showed Giaguo his broken shield generator. "My portable psychic shield stopped it, but then it overloaded."  
Giaguo stared at him. "That shield should be able to block Omega-level psychic energy with no difficulty."  
"I know," Mister P agreed. "But this power of his was incredibly strong. I knew I wouldn't survive if he attacked again, so I had to escape, but at least I took one of them with me."  
"The least dangerous of them," the alien retorted. "Still, it is only to be expected, considering the fact that you are a mere Earthling human."  
Mister P looked down. "I'm sorry I failed you, Master Giaguo," he said apologetically.  
"Since you brought me this information, I will forgive you," Giaguo replied. "The appearance of the chosen leader changes everything... Especially if he is so powerful."  
His voice adopted an aura of interest. "You said that the chosen leader, this Zain Maximillian, became angry and attacked you with psychic energy, and that your paralysis weapon was ineffective against him. I am curious, Mister P... Did this Zain's eyes change color at all?"  
Mister P's eyes widened. "Now that you mention it, they did," he said. "Before he attacked me, his eyes turned red, and I could actually feel the energy he was about to release."  
"This does indeed change everything," Giaguo said thoughtfully. "It is little wonder that your paralysis weapon was ineffective, if he possesses THAT gift."  
"What do you mean?" asked Mister P.  
"A paralysis beam affects its target by interfering with the mind's control over the body, making it impossible for the mind to issue commands to the body. In short, the paralysis beam directly affects the mind. If the chosen leader, this Zain, has the power that I think he has, then his mind cannot be affected like that. His mind is impenetrably protected against any sort of outside influence."  
"No wonder it didn't work," muttered Mister P. "So how are we supposed to get rid of him?"  
"There are ways," Giaguo answered. "For now, it will suffice to say that although we must be extremely careful, we are more than equipped to deal with him. We have been watching this planet for many years after the defeat of Giygas-12162203616-630, making preparations and taking all possible factors into account. These 'chosen ones' are strong, but they are not invincible; you know that all too well, Mister P, from the mission you carried out fourteen years ago."  
Mister P smirked. "Indeed I do," he agreed, remembering what the master was talking about.  
"In any case," Giaguo continued, "we now know the identity of the chosen leader. Go and send word to Kaatz, so that he now knows who to look for. Give him your description of Zain, and tell him that Target Priority One is with him."  
Mister P winced; although he had to work with Kaatz, he didn't really like him. "And what about after that?" asked Mister P. "Should I go back and try again?"  
"No," the master answered. "After you replace your shield generator, you will simply rest for now, Mister P. You probably cannot stand against Zain, as you have no psychic abilities. Kaatz will take over for now, and you will stay here until I have another mission for you."  
"But I have to go back!" Mister P protested vehemently. "I have to get that girl! I have to destroy every remnant of HIM!" An edge of hatred appeared in his voice.  
Giaguo stared at him. "I understand your feelings in the matter of Target Priority Three, but she is with the chosen leader, and you do not have the power to defeat him. Kaatz is much more likely to be able to handle this situation."  
Mister P realized that if he pressed the matter, he risked incurring Giaguo's wrath. He sighed, feeling disgusted. "Yes, Master Giaguo."  
"Good. Now go and inform Kaatz of what you told me," Giaguo ordered.  
Mister P nodded and left the chamber.  
After he had gone, Giaguo thought to himself. "It seems that the 'Chosen Eight' foreseen by the 'Apple of Enlightenment' have begun to appear, and they have already begun to come together," said the alien. "I must be careful; I will not make the same mistake that Giegue made."

**_Meanwhile..._**

The darkness in the old tunnel was so absolute that it seemed to threaten to swallow them. The only things that broke through the darkness were the two flashlights, held by Zain and Guy. They searched everywhere with them as they slowly traversed the tunnel, constantly on guard against possible enemies.  
The tunnel was also silent; so silent that making any kind of sound seemed unnatural. The group didn't speak as they moved, and they tried to avoid making any noise.  
The abandoned tunnel's exterior had shown signs of disuse. The interior was even worse. They could see the remnants of a road on the ground in the light of their flashlights, but the road was cracked and pitted everywhere. This made the ground so uneven that the group had to take care to avoid tripping and falling. Sasha stumbled once, but Karen managed to catch her before she fell.  
Since they tried to avoid speaking in the silent tunnel, the four of them could only think to themselves. Zain used the time to reflect on everything that had happened over the past five days. His life had changed significantly ever since that first night when he had found the meteor. Before that fateful night, Zain would never have even thought of leaving his home and going off on his own. He had never even wanted to travel before. His father, Lawrence Maximillian, had been a traveler; piloting airplanes to far-off places had been his life... And it had gotten him killed. After that terrible accident, Zain had been perfectly content to stay home and be with his family, and never leave his home.  
Yet now, here he was, heading for Troisemburg on a quest that could possibly get him killed. _I wonder how Mom and Selrey are doing?_ he thought. _Will they be okay without me?_  
But another thing that had changed was that it was not only his family that he cared about anymore. In Sasha, Zain had found a good friend, and over the course of only a few days, he already cared about her deeply. The two of them had saved each other's lives several times, and Zain couldn't imagine undertaking this quest without her.  
And now there were two others who had offered their friendship and joined his cause. While not as special to him as Sasha, Guy and Karen were no less important to the group, and Zain cared about them as well. While Guy had no PSI abilities, he was smarter than anyone Zain had ever met before, and he had a good heart, even if his manner of talking was a little odd. Karen seemed to be even less used to having friends than Zain was; she didn't talk about herself much, and a lot of the time she was rather withdrawn. But Zain could see that she liked having friends, and he didn't need telepathy to know that she was a good person. He hoped that they found her friend Neil during the course of their journey.  
Sasha walked beside Zain, thinking to herself as well. The dark one, the one called Giaguo, was still after her; the mere thought of it filled her with terror. But in the company of the three friends she had met, particularly Zain, she felt safe. She had felt safe with Zain from the moment she had first met him, after stepping off of the bus in Primera. It wasn't just that he was the boy from her dreams; there was something about Zain himself that made him special. Even though he had never even seen her before, he had offered her his unconditional friendship, and from that moment on he had been a stalwart companion. Sasha knew that if it hadn't been for Zain, she would have been captured by Mister P yesterday, and she would now be in the hands of the dark one.  
She was also increasingly curious about Zain's PSI. As a member of an entire family that was gifted with PSI, Sasha had thought that she knew the rules of how it worked. But Zain had thrown those rules completely out the window with his gift; it was like nothing she had ever seen before. She still had no way to explain the way his eyes changed color when he used his power, and the speed at which he used it was phenomenal. In order to use PSI, one had to concentrate, which ultimately took time, no matter how skilled the user. But Zain had used his power instantaneously; Sasha still remembered the way he had simply turned and blasted the guardian of Lumina Pillar into oblivion, almost as if it were an afterthought. And even though Zain didn't know much about how PSI worked, he had shown her ways to use it that she had never even known about before.  
There were so many things she didn't understand. She was starting to wonder if she ever would.  
Behind them, Guy thought back on the past few days' events. He had set out from the Orange Enterprises base in Troisemburg because Samuel Maybee had sent him to protect his daughter. But now that he had finally found her, she didn't need him to protect her; she had Zain. Still, being away from the Orange Enterprises base had shown Guy the possibilities of the world outside. He had already made friends with Zain, Sasha, Karen, and the abducted Neil, and now that Guy was free of his father's influence, he could eventually find Kyla; he had sworn to do that.  
Guy wondered what he would do when this quest was over, if they managed to succeed. He wasn't sure what he would do, but one thing was certain: he was not going to be what his father wanted him to be.  
Next to Guy, Karen thought about what had happened to her recently. Mister P had not merely been following his master's orders when he came after her; he clearly hated her, for something her parents had done. She knew that Mister P had abducted Neil at the last second to hurt her; in that he had succeeded.  
Thinking about Mister P's connection to her parents made her wonder about them even more. _Who are they, and why does he hate them so much?_ she wondered. She had almost learned her father's name from Mister P's mind; the pain that she had felt when it had been ripped away from her was still fresh in her memory.  
She thought about Mister P's real name that she had discovered, Pokey Minch. The name meant nothing to Karen; she didn't know anything about anyone named Pokey. But Karen had a feeling that the name was a key that could help her discover who her parents were, if she could figure it out. She briefly wondered why Mister P didn't use his real name.  
Her powers were also a possible clue to her parents' identity. Karen remembered what Mister P had said about her parents in her encounters with him. Her father had PSI powers, and her mother was a telepath like Karen was; her mother probably had PSI powers too. It made Karen feel warm inside to know that she had inherited something special from each of them.  
Karen had kept her telepathy disabled ever since she had learned how to do it. There was no telling what could be in the old tunnel; if they encountered Madness creatures while she was using her telepathy, Karen would be paralyzed again by their enormous intent to kill. She didn't want that to happen ever again.  
Finally, she thought about Neil. Although Guy had helped her feel better after Neil's abduction, and he had given her hope again, she still missed Neil terribly. As the first person to show her kindness, Neil was special; even though she now had other friends, there would never be anyone else like him. She remembered the way he had selflessly taken the blame for her when she had accidentally broken the lamp back at the orphanage, and the way he had sincerely apologized for everything he had ever done to hurt her. It was true; there would never be anyone else like him.  
Karen wiped the tear from her eye and mentally chided herself. _This is no time to be feeling sorry for myself,_ she thought. _If a Madness creature attacks us right now, all the sorrow in the world won't help us._

As the four of them walked and thought, they finally reached the end of the tunnel. It had been longer than any of them had thought it would be.  
The exit to the tunnel was blocked with a large wooden barrier, just as the other end had been. Zain turned to the others and grinned. "I'll take care of this one."  
Facing the barrier, Zain raised his hand and used his power. "PSI Hyperion Alpha!"  
The brilliant solar attack made the words "take care of" an understatement. Under the stress of Zain's power, the barrier exploded outward, scattering pieces of wood everywhere.  
The group stared in surprise as they looked upon the forest meadow on the other side. Even though it wasn't night yet, it was so dark outside that it might as well have been night. The source of the darkness was apparent; the sky was totally covered with thick greyish-black clouds. It was pouring rain outside, and they heard a clap of thunder in the distance.  
"Well, this is going to be pleasant," muttered Zain. "We still have a long way to walk. We're going to get soaked."  
Sasha nodded, regretting not buying an umbrella in Duplora.  
"I suppose it cannot be helped," said Guy. "It does not appear that this rain will stop in the near future."  
"Look on the bright side," said Karen. "With all this rain, most animals probably won't be outside, which means we won't run into as many Madness creatures."  
Zain shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that."  
They stayed just inside the tunnel for a moment longer, none of them really wanting to go out in the rain. Finally Zain reached up and pulled his aviator goggles over his eyes, to help shield them from the rain. "Well, waiting around won't get us anywhere. We have to keep going."  
Reluctantly, they left the tunnel and began the trek across the forest meadow, heading for Troisemburg.

**_To be continued..._**  



	15. Earthbound 202X Part 15

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 15: Troisemburg**

It was still raining when they finally reached Troisemburg, and it didn't show any signs of stopping.  
The group had walked for hours upon hours after exiting the abandoned tunnel, and it was now night outside. Because of the black clouds, the only indication that it was night was that it was even darker than before, pitch black. Zain and Guy had to use their flashlights just for them to be able to see.  
Now that they had finally reached the town, the area was dimly lit by streetlights, and they were finally able to turn off their flashlights. Zain looked around, his aviator goggles keeping the heavy rain out of his eyes.  
They were in the westernmost outskirts of Troisemburg, the outer suburbs. There was nothing here but houses, residential developments, and a few small stores. No one was out tonight; Zain didn't even see any cars out on the road.  
Guy looked up at the sky, raindrops pelting his glasses. "This city is vastly different than the way I recall it," he remarked. "It is not only the rain; the town seems to have a different FEEL to it, if that makes sense."  
"It makes sense, Guy," Sasha agreed. "I was only here for about a night and a morning, but the little I saw of Troisemburg didn't seem this... gloomy, several days ago."  
Karen started impatiently; the weather had caused her mood to decline sharply. "Let's just get out of this rain before one of us catches pneumonia or something."  
No one could argue with that.

After a short distance of walking, the four of them reached a corner gas station. They quickly got in underneath the large overhang, grateful to have the bright lights shining down on them. "This is the best light I've seen since we left that old tunnel," Zain commented as he took off his goggles and put them around his forehead again.  
"That's for sure," Sasha agreed as she wrung the water out of her long hair; the effort made it unkempt and disheveled.  
Guy produced a small cleaning cloth from somewhere inside his clothing, and attempted to wipe his glasses off; since the cloth was damp like everything else on him, he wasn't very successful.  
There were a few cars at the gas station, which was a stark contrast to the empty roads. The customers who owned them stared at the four soaked newcomers.  
"I'm hungry," said Karen. "What about you three?"  
"I'm hungry too," Sasha answered.  
"I am positively famished," Guy responded.  
"Yeah, whatever he said," Zain agreed. "Since we're all hungry, Karen and I will go inside the convenience store and see if we can get some hot dogs or something."  
"That sounds good to me," said Karen.  
Sasha dug some money out of her pocket and held it out to Zain. "Here, I saved this for food," she said.  
"That's okay, I have enough," said Zain. "Let's save that for later, when we buy food for the road."  
Sasha nodded. "Okay."  
Karen looked at Guy and Sasha. "Do either of you have any topping preferences for your hot dog?"  
"Just catsup and mustard on mine," replied Sasha.  
Karen stared at her. "You mean ketchup?"  
"Yes, catsup," said Sasha. Then she realized what Karen meant. "Oh... Do people call it ketchup in Hawkland?"  
Zain nodded, smiling. "They sure do."  
Sasha blushed slightly and looked down. "I'll have mine with... ketchup... and mustard, then," she said falteringly.  
Karen looked at Guy. "What about you, Guy?"  
Guy looked up at them. "I wish my hot dog to have everything," he answered.  
"Okay then," said Karen. "Let's go in, Zain."  
Zain and Karen entered the convenience store, leaving Sasha and Guy to wait for them outside.

While they waited, Sasha sat down on the curb. "...I'm glad we made it here, Guy," she said. "Maybe now we can find my dad."  
"Hopefully, we will be able to do so," said Guy. "Perhaps Mr. Maybee may be able to explain this odd weather to us. I do not know if you feel the same, but to me, this weather seems... unnatural."  
"It certainly doesn't seem natural," Sasha agreed. "Any way you look, there's nothing but these black clouds in the sky, as far as you can see. They've been around since we came out of that old tunnel, and it doesn't look like they're going away at all." She looked at Guy. "Do you think there will be a flood, Guy?"  
"I do not believe so," Guy answered. "The city of Troisemburg is situated on a higher elevation. The rainwater will flow south, into the southern forest; it is likely that the forest will be flooded."  
"Oh," said Sasha. She changed the subject. "Are you happy to be back in this town, Guy?"  
"Not particularly," Guy replied. "The Orange Enterprises base is located here."  
"But isn't that where you live?"  
"Maybe so," said Guy, "but it is not where I WANT to live."  
Sasha took this in. "Where do you want to live, then?"  
Guy paused for a moment, thinking. "...Winters."  
"Winters?" she repeated. "But there's nothing there."  
"There is something there," Guy corrected. "Or rather... someone."  
Sasha was intrigued, but before she could inquire further, Zain and Karen came back out with four hot dogs.

The hot dogs disappeared rather quickly, since the four of them were very hungry.  
After wiping her mouth with a napkin, Sasha noticed that Zain was carrying a plastic bag. "What's in that bag, Zain?" she asked.  
"Well," Zain replied, "Karen and I decided that as long as it's going to keep raining like this, we might as well get some umbrellas." He took two travel-size expanding umbrellas out of the bag, and handed one to Sasha and one to Karen. "Since Guy and I have the flashlights, you two will get these."  
Karen nodded in agreement. "That's fair enough."  
Zain nodded back, and then he turned to Sasha and smiled. "I also bought this. A gift for you."  
He handed Sasha a hairbrush. Upon seeing it, Sasha smiled warmly at him. "Thank you, Zain..." she said gratefully. "That's really thoughtful of you." She took it out of the package and started to brush out her hair, which the rain had not helped.  
Karen looked off in the distance. "So, what's our next destination?" she asked.  
"We have to find my dad," Sasha answered. "I haven't been able to reach him on the phone; he needs to know that I'm okay."  
"I agree," said Guy. "Mr. Maybee might be able to help us. We should locate his hotel and find him."  
"Okay," Zain concurred. "We need all the help we can get."  
After opening the umbrellas, the group left the gas station and ventured out into the rain once again.

They walked onward for about another hour, with Zain and Sasha under one umbrella and Guy and Karen under the other. Soon enough, the four of them reached the downtown area of Troisemburg.  
Here, there were actually cars on the roads, albeit very few. One car drove too close to the sidewalk where the group was standing and sprayed water all over them.  
Karen sighed, water dripping from her clothes. "That's just great," she said sarcastically, staring angrily after the car.  
"Don't get so angry about it," said Zain. "We're already soaked anyway."  
Guy checked his Equalizer gun. "I hope that my weapons have not been damaged by all of this water," he said. "If they have been, then I will be unarmed."  
Suddenly Sasha saw something, a building not far from their location. She pointed. "There it is!" she cried. "That's Dad's hotel!"  
Zain grinned. "We finally made it," he said, his spirits lifting. "Let's go there and see if we can find him."  
With sighs of relief, the group headed quickly for the hotel, glad that their long walk was finally over.

In the hotel lobby, Zain looked at the clock on the wall, which read 12:40 AM. _Have we really been walking that long?_ he thought, incredulous.  
Sasha spoke to the man behind the desk. "Is there a Mr. Samuel Maybee at this hotel?" she asked.  
The man checked a computer for a moment, and then he turned back to Sasha and nodded. "Yes, there is."  
Sasha sighed in relief. "Could you please call his room and tell him that his daughter is in the lobby?"  
"Of course, miss. Give me one moment."  
The man picked up a phone receiver and dialed the number. He then waited for several moments, and then hung up, looking at Sasha with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, miss," he said. "There's no response. He must not be in yet."  
Upon hearing this, Sasha hung her head dejectedly. "Okay... Thank you, sir." She turned back to the group.  
Zain looked at her, opening his mouth to try and cheer her up. The look of severe disappointment on her face made him stop. She looked up and met his gaze, and Zain knew that some of the water on her face was not rain. "He's... He's not here..." she said, sounding small and alone.  
Impulsively Zain stepped up and hugged her. "Don't worry," he told her. "He's still living at this hotel, so he has to come back sooner or later. We'll find him, don't worry."  
Sasha lifted her head and looked at him, her sky-blue eyes filled with tears. "Zain..."  
"We'll find him," Zain repeated.  
Guy and Karen stepped away from them and sat down in some chairs, making the chairs damp in the process. "I believe that we can help her feel better if we simply leave them alone for now," Guy observed.  
"No kidding," Karen agreed. Looking at them reminded her of Neil, and she closed her eyes sadly.  
Taking off his glasses, Guy once again attempted to clean them with the damp cloth. "We are all friends, the four of us," he remarked, "but their friendship seems slightly different."  
Karen looked at him. "She completely trusts him."  
Before she could say more, the hotel doors opened up and a man entered the lobby from outside. Guy turned to see who it was, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Mr. Maybee!"  
Upon hearing the name, everyone turned to see him. Zain and Karen saw Sasha's father for the first time. He was a middle-aged man with brown hair and sky-blue eyes, and he wore a black trenchcoat with a high collar. _It's easy to see the family resemblance,_ Zain thought.  
When she saw him, Sasha ran to him and threw her arms around him. "Dad!"  
Samuel Maybee returned the embrace, surprised. "Sasha?" he said in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"  
He looked at the other three. "Guy? Why are you here...? And who are these other two?"  
Letting go of him, Sasha looked over at Karen. "That's Karen," she introduced. "She's my friend." And then her gaze settled on Zain. "And that's Zain Maximillian." She smiled warmly as she said his name. "He's the boy from my dream."  
Her father's jaw dropped in shock, and it was a while before they could get anything out of him.

"So," said Samuel, in his hotel room, after the group had finished explaining everything, "you met the one from your dream, along with Guy and... Karen, was it?"  
Sasha nodded. "It's just like you said, Dad," she told him. "He's my salvation." Zain looked away, embarrassed.  
Her father turned to Zain and smiled warmly. "Thank you, young man. Thank you for protecting my daughter. I truly appreciate what you've done."  
Zain's face reddened a bit, and he meekly met the older man's eyes, which were so exactly like his daughter's. "I, um..."  
Samuel turned to Guy and Karen. "And thank you also, Guy. You did exactly what I asked you to, and kept Sasha safe."  
"I had made a promise to you, Mr. Maybee," Guy replied, having finally managed to clean off his glasses. "I only regret that I was not able to do much for her."  
"Nonsense," said Samuel. "I'm sure you did more than you think. You are an honorable young man, Guy... You and Zain both."  
Then he turned to Karen. "And thank you too, Karen. You helped keep Sasha safe."  
Karen blushed and looked away from him. "I... I didn't really do anything," she said softly.  
Looking at her father, Sasha finally asked the question she had been wondering about for so long. "Dad... I tried to call you so many times! Why couldn't I reach you?"  
Samuel looked down sheepishly. "...I'm sorry, sweetheart," he said. "I didn't mean for that to happen. I... haven't been around the hotel room lately; Mr. Orangere ordered me to go out and attempt to solve the mystery behind this strange weather we've been having."  
At Sasha's puzzled expression, he continued. "You've always been asking me what my job in Orange Enterprises is, Sasha. Maybe it's time I finally told you."  
Upon hearing this, Guy leaned forward, interested; he had always wondered about this as well. Zain and Karen also paid close attention, sensing that this was important.  
After making sure that they were listening, Samuel began. "14 years ago, a strange event happened in Twoson, Eagleland... Orangeman Orangere's home town. Two people were killed, a husband and wife. Although no evidence was ever found as to the identity of the killers, a few witnesses claimed that strange alien robots had done it... And at the scene of the murder, it looked as if a large battle had been fought."  
He cleared his throat. "Naturally, the tabloids ate it up. They went on about it for months. Most people dismissed it as nonsense, but Orangeman Orangere knew better. He remembered the war against Giygas, and he knew that an alien attack was indeed possible, even though Giygas had been defeated. He started to become afraid that another attack would occur and jeopardize the corporation."  
"That is exactly like him," Guy remarked coldly. "Never caring about anything or anyone but himself."  
Samuel nodded, and continued. "Orangere decided to hire someone to look into paranormal activities that occurred near the bases of the corporation. To deal with the paranormal, the person Orangere hired had to be somewhat versed in the paranormal himself."  
Karen spoke up. "So in other words, the person he hired had to have PSI."  
"Right," Samuel agreed with a slight smile. "He searched around, and eventually, he hired ME."  
Sasha gasped. "So that means you're the--"  
"My job title is Inspector of Supernatural/Paranormal Activities," said her father. "Orangere hired me 13 years ago. To sum it up, I'm a corporate secret agent who investigates paranormal activities and anomalies. None of the Orange Enterprises workers are allowed to know what I do, and I have almost unlimited access to corporate funds for carrying out my duties. I also have heavy influence, and I'm allowed to use it almost however I want, as you've seen, Sasha."  
Sasha nodded, realizing that that was how her father had managed to take her out of school and bring her to Hawkland. "So why have you been HERE so long, Dad?" she asked.  
Her father grinned. "Why do you think I've been here so long?"  
Zain figured it out. "The Madness. That seems pretty paranormal to me."  
"Exactly," replied Samuel. "The first outbreaks of the Madness occurred in Hawkland, a few months ago. As soon as Orangere heard about it, he sent me over here to investigate. I haven't figured it out yet, which is why I'm still here. But it seems that you have it pretty well figured out, if the Madness really IS caused by the influence of some 'new evil' like Giygas; now we just have to figure out how to stop it."  
"There is only one way to stop it," said Guy solemnly. "We must defeat the one called Giaguo... The one whom Mister P was working for. It is up to us to do this."  
Samuel nodded. "Yes, the Chosen Eight you were telling me about. Are you really sure that my daughter is one of those eight?"  
"She is," said Zain. "The first Sanctuary was for her." Sasha nodded in agreement.  
Her father sighed. "I guess there's nothing that can be done about that, then. It's just a father's worry, that's all. But you're the boy from her dream; I'm sure that nothing will happen to her as long as she's with you."  
Zain looked uncomfortable in the face of such trust.  
Sasha had another question for her father. "Dad," she said, "before I found you again, I've been having these feelings... I have them whenever something terrible is about to happen, almost as if I know what's coming. Zain thinks that maybe my Premonition is still working, somehow. Is that possible?"  
Samuel thought for a moment. "It could be," he said.  
"But I don't understand," said Sasha, confused. "I thought my Premonition was sealed."  
"That doesn't mean it's been sealed all the way," Samuel replied. "I don't know for sure. I was only taught how to perform the pseal, not how it works."  
"Oh," said Sasha. She sat and thought, wondering if she would ever know.  
Finally, Samuel Maybee looked at all four of them: his daughter, and the three friends she had made. "So, what are you planning to do now?" he asked.  
"We need to find the other Sanctuaries," Zain answered without hesitation.  
Samuel looked at him. "I may be able to help with that."  
"You can?" said Karen.  
"There is a place north of Troisemburg, somewhere out in the forest," Samuel told them. "Not very many people know about it, but the ones that do know call it the 'Tranquil Zone,' and an old man once referred to it as a 'sanctuary' against evil."  
"A Sanctuary!" Zain repeated, brightening up.  
"Do you know its location?" Guy inquired.  
"Yes," Sasha's father replied. "I've been there myself."  
"What?" Sasha exclaimed, surprised.  
"Well, it IS my job to investigate supernatural phenomena, and this place was definitely supernatural. In fact, I was never able to figure out how it was caused."  
"What's this Tranquil Zone like?" asked Karen. "Guy and I have never seen one of these Sanctuaries."  
Samuel thought back. "...When I went there, I felt a great calm," he said. "It was almost like there wasn't anything wrong in the world, and everything was totally at peace. I could see why they called it the Tranquil Zone; because it was absolutely calm there. Except for one thing..."  
"What's that?" asked Zain."  
"I felt a disturbing feeling in the back of my mind that I wasn't supposed to be there. It was almost like something was saying, 'You do not belong here. This is not your place.' I guess that's a little weird."  
"Not really," Zain countered. "If the Tranquil Zone really IS a Sanctuary, then there's only one person that it's meant for. Each Sanctuary is meant for one member of the Chosen Eight."  
Samuel blinked. "That WOULD explain it."  
Zain turned to his friends. "Lumina Pillar was for Sasha, so she's already found her Sanctuary. That means that if the Tranquil Zone is a Sanctuary, then it could be meant for Guy, Karen, or myself."  
"But there are still four members of the Chosen Eight that we have yet to find," Guy reminded him. "What if the Tranquil Zone is meant for one of those other four? If that is the case, then the Sanctuary would not react to any of us."  
Zain sighed. "There IS that..."  
Noticing Zain's indecision, Karen stood up. "Well, I think we should go there," she said with conviction. "We can sit around all night and play these 'what-if' scenarios, Guy, but the longer we sit around, the longer Neil is in THEIR hands. I can't accept that."  
Guy stood up as well. "You are right, Karen," he said. "I apologize for my hesitation."  
Zain stood up also. "I'm sorry too, Karen. You're absolutely right. This isn't just for us; it's for Neil, too, and the rest of the world. We can't hesitate just because we're uncertain."  
Sasha's father raised his hand. "Hold it," he said. "Haven't you checked the time recently?"  
Zain looked at the digital clock, which displayed 1:54 AM in large red numbers, and suddenly felt very stupid. "...Oh."  
"It's too late for the four of you to go off into the wilderness. Besides, you walked all the way here from Duplora. You four need a good night's rest before you go anywhere else."  
Sasha yawned sleepily. "...You're right, Dad. We HAVE been walking all day."  
Zain didn't feel very tired now that they had possibly found another Sanctuary, but he saw the wisdom in Samuel's words. "I guess I AM a little tired, Mr. Maybee..." he said.  
Samuel nodded. "How about this?" he proposed. "I'll get a separate room for each one of you in this hotel for the night, and then tomorrow I'll drive the four of you to the northern outskirts of town, in the company car."  
"That sounds good," said Karen. "Not as much walking." The other three nodded in agreement.  
Sasha's father smiled. "Great," he said. "I'll go downstairs right now and make the arrangements."

Kato moved away from the hotel window and climbed back onto the roof. He had overheard the entire conversation.  
"So that is Zain," he said to himself. "Leader of the Chosen Eight."  
For the past four nights, Kato had been staying in Troisemburg, waiting for Zain to arrive as the old master had said he would. Now, Kato's waiting had finally paid off. He knew it was his destiny to join forces with this young man and his companions.  
Still, despite everything he knew, Kato felt somewhat hesitant. _They are all older than I am,_ he thought to himself. _Will they take me seriously?_  
They would after they saw Kato's great skill. Despite the fact that they were older, not one of those four appeared to have any training in the ways of battle. Kato had trained for battle all of his life, and he was the youngest person in history to have passed the training of Mu...  
Kato stopped himself, realizing that he was making a mistake. _I must not be conceited,_ he thought. _Everything I have could be taken away from me at any moment._ The training of Mu had taught him that.  
_Each of them must be unique and useful in their own way,_ Kato decided. _They may not be powerful fighters, but each of them contributes something that, when joined together, creates an unstoppable force._  
It was his destiny to join Zain and add his own "something" to that force. Yet something held him back. He didn't know why, but some instinct told Kato to wait, that it was not the proper time yet.  
Kato decided to obey the instinct. The old master, and his father Emperor Poo (he still wasn't used to thinking of Poo as his father yet), had always told him to trust his instincts, that they would never lead him astray. He would simply wait for the proper time to arrive; he would know when it finally came.  
His mind made up, Kato sat down cross-legged on the roof of the hotel, ignoring the rain, and began to meditate.

**_Meanwhile..._**

Kaatz switched off his communicator, ending the link.  
A Starman Elite, standing nearby, noticed his action. "Lord Kaatz," it said, "what does the master command?"  
Kaatz looked at it. "The 'chosen leader' has revealed himself. Both he and Target Priority One were encountered by Mister P, in the town of Duplora."  
"Truly?"  
The man nodded, putting his communicator away. "According to Mister P, the chosen leader, now known as Zain, rescued Target Priority Three, and prevented Mister P from capturing her."  
"I cannot expect that Mister P was able to defeat them," said the Starman Elite.  
"Of course not," snapped Kaatz. "Mister P is a bumbling fool who relies too much on his overhyped gadgets, which Master Giaguo gave to him. It is now up to US to correct his mistakes."  
The Starman Elite placed its armlike appendages on its waist, striking a very familiar pose. "What shall we do, Lord Kaatz? What are your orders?"  
Kaatz thought for a moment, closing his mechanical right hand into a fist and resting his chin on it. "The meteor fell to earth in Primera," he mused, "so the chosen leader, Zain, must have come from Primera. Yet Mister P encountered him in Duplora. Since I cannot imagine that Zain would have remained in Duplora after Mister P showed up, I must assume that he has moved on... To Troisemburg."  
He looked at the Starman Elite. "Our mission is to find Target Priority One, and capture her," he stated. "We will find her when we find the chosen leader. Tell the others to prepare to leave; we are bound for Troisemburg."  
"Troisemburg?" the Starman Elite repeated. "Isn't that where Master Giaguo is experimenting with his weather control device?"  
"Yes, it is," said Kaatz; he had forgotten about that. "That means we'll be going into a perpetual rainstorm, but it does not matter; our orders are to find Target Priority One and destroy the chosen leader. Tell the others to prepare to leave."  
The Starman Elite saluted. "By your command, Lord Kaatz." It went off to carry out Kaatz's orders.  
Left to himself, Kaatz turned and looked up at the night sky. He had seen the stars from the surface of many different worlds, but there was something about seeing it from Earth's surface that made it special.  
The sight involuntarily brought back a memory. Long ago, he had stood on top of a mountain elsewhere on this planet, staring at the same night sky... Long ago, when he had had two real eyes to see it with, and he had been a very different person... Long ago, when he had been with people who loved him, and he had been happy...  
Without thinking, Kaatz slowly reached his artificial right hand up to touch his face... And there was a clink as metal collided against metal.  
Angrily, Kaatz wiped away the single tear that had begun to appear in his left eye. "That time is ended," he snapped to himself. "That person is dead."  
"What are you talking about, Lord Kaatz?"  
Kaatz turned in surprise to see a Starman Elite next to him. "Nothing," he said. "I was merely reflecting."  
The Starman Elite stared at the metal half of Kaatz's face. "Lord Kaatz, your bio-cybernetic implants are non-reflective," it stated. "You are not reflecting anything."  
"That is not what I meant!" Kaatz snarled. "Why aren't you preparing to leave?"  
"We completed preparations approximately thirty seconds ago," said the Starman Elite. "We are awaiting your command."  
Kaatz sighed; apparently he had been thinking for longer than he thought. "Very well," he said. "Let's move out."

**_To be continued..._**  



	16. Earthbound 202X Part 16

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 16: The Dire Battle**

Zain suddenly woke up, and he sat upright in bed.  
Confused, he scratched his head, wondering why he had awakened so fast. He had been having a dream, but he couldn't remember what it was.  
He looked at the clock, which read 4:28 AM, and sighed in disgust as he realized that he was completely wide awake. There would be no going back to bed for him.  
He got out of bed and checked his clothes, which were positioned near the air vent. They were completely dry now, which was a welcome change from being completely soaked earlier.  
_What am I doing?_ Zain wondered as he got dressed. He couldn't go anywhere; it was almost 4:30 in the morning, and it was still raining outside.  
After getting dressed, he walked over to the small table next to his bed and snatched his goggles, tying them around his head again. Fully dressed, he walked to his hotel room door and went out into the hall, not sure where he was going.

The hotel hallway was brightly lit by flourescent light fixtures, and the floor was covered with a comfortable carpeting. The bedroom doors were placed an equal length apart, throughout the entire hallway, and there were some chairs up against the wall near Zain's door.  
To Zain's surprise, Sasha sat in one of the chairs. She looked up, startled, as he exited the room.  
Zain smiled at her and sat down next to her. "Can't sleep?" he asked.  
Sasha shook her head. "No... It looks like you can't, either."  
Zain laughed. "Nope."  
A moment passed, and Zain looked at her. "Sasha..." he started. "Why are you sitting out here like this? It's 4:30 in the morning."  
Sasha turned and met his gaze, and didn't respond at first. Finally, she said, "...You know that feeling I have once in a while? Just before something bad is about to happen?"  
Zain nodded. "Yeah. It's saved us more than once."  
Sasha closed her eyes. "I've been having it all night," she said. "I can't fall asleep; that's why I'm out here."  
"All night?" Zain repeated. "Is that pseal even still working?"  
"It's still working," Sasha assured him. "Ever since Dad put it on me, I haven't had the dreams anymore. But this isn't the dreams; it's something different. It's just... a horrible feeling that something bad is about to happen."  
"Well, don't worry," Zain said, trying to comfort her. "Even if something bad DOES happen, we'll be fine. As long as we're together, we'll be fine."  
She managed to smile. "...Thank you, Zain," she said. Looking at the floor, she sighed. "I'm really sorry. You must be getting tired of trying to support me all the time..."  
"Not at all," Zain replied. "That's what a friend does: he supports the people he cares about."  
"Well, you're a really good friend, then," said Sasha. "I feel a lot better."

The next morning, Guy got up, got dressed, put on his glasses, and gathered his things. Looking out the window, he saw that it was still raining, and the sky was still totally covered with black clouds. The only difference from last night was that it was slightly less dark outside, and the visibility was somewhat improved.  
Guy looked at the clock on the small table next to his bed. It read 10:41 AM.  
With a sigh, Guy turned back to the window. _This rain isn't stopping at all,_ he thought. _Doesn't it have to end SOMETIME?_  
In any case, there was nothing that could be done about it. "I suppose I shall go and see if the others have awakened," he said to himself. "If not, then perhaps I may be able to work on my weapons for a while."  
After making sure that he had all of his belongings, he left the room.

Stepping into the hall, Guy almost bumped into Karen, who was standing near his door with her back to him. She seemed to be looking at something.  
"Good morning to you, Karen," Guy said, somewhat surprised. "What are you looking at?"  
Karen turned to face him. "Oh, good morning, Guy," she said. "I was just debating whether or not I should wake them up."  
Guy raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "'Wake them up?'"  
She laughed and moved out of his way so that he could see. "See for yourself."  
Guy looked, and saw what she was talking about. "Oh."  
Sitting next to each other in two chairs, Zain and Sasha were fast asleep. Sasha was leaning on Zain, resting her head on his shoulder.  
Guy turned back to Karen. "Why are they sleeping out here?" he asked.  
"How should I know?" Karen replied with a shrug. She frowned. "I just don't see why they'd be sleeping like THAT out here. It's embarrassing."  
"Is that so?" Guy asked. He grinned. "As I recall, I have awakened before to find YOU like that, with Neil."  
At this, Karen threw him such a look of severe pain that he immediately regretted saying that. "I apologize," he said. "That was callous of me. I should have been more thoughtful than that."  
"No, it's not your fault," Karen assured him. "It's just... I'm afraid."  
"I understand," said Guy. "We will find him, I promise you that."  
Just then, Samuel Maybee came up to them. "Good morning, Guy and Karen," he said.  
Surprised, Karen and Guy turned to him, blocking his view of Zain and Sasha. As she turned, Karen intentionally banged her foot against Sasha's chair, jarring it. "Oh, good morning, Mr. Maybee," she said. "How are you feeling?"  
Puzzled, Sasha's father shrugged. "I'm well enough," he said. "How about you two?"  
"Um, never better!" Karen cried.  
Realizing what she was trying to do, Guy went along with it. "I am quite well this morning, thank you."  
"That's good," Samuel said. "Are Zain and my daughter up yet?"  
At this, Karen was at a loss. "I... Well..." she stammered nervously.  
"I'm right here, Dad," said Sasha. She came up in front of Karen and Guy, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Karen mentally sighed in relief; her tactic had worked.  
"Oh, there you are," said Samuel. "Why were you hiding behind them?"  
"I wasn't hiding, Dad," Sasha answered. "I was sitting in one of the chairs, waiting for you."  
"Oh, okay," said her father. "Where's Zain at?"  
From behind Sasha, Karen, and Guy came a strange, barely intelligible response that sounded like "Over here." To their surprise, Zain came up to the front; his eyes were only partially open, and he looked as if he were only half-awake.  
Sasha's father stared at him. "You look like you didn't get enough sleep," he said.  
"I didn't," Zain mumbled incoherently.  
Sasha smiled at him. "Here, maybe this will help." She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Healing Alpha."  
Abruptly Zain felt fully awake and refreshed. He looked at Sasha and returned her smile. "Thanks. I didn't know it could work like that."  
Samuel stared at his daughter in surprise. "Sasha, where did you learn to do that?" he asked.  
"Zain taught me how to heal," she answered. "I can heal wounds. I wasn't sure if I could use it to heal Zain's sleep deprivation, but it worked, so I guess I can."  
Zain grinned. "We can both heal, Sasha, so I must be able to do that too. I'll have to keep that in mind for the next time YOU'RE half-asleep."  
Samuel looked at Zain in a new light. "You taught my daughter how to heal with PSI?" he asked.  
"Well, I didn't really teach her, Mr. Maybee," Zain replied. "She always had the ability to do it, and just never realized it. Since she inherited her powers from you, I'll bet that you could heal too, if you wanted."  
Sasha's father smiled. "Zain, you are a truly remarkable young man."  
Embarrassed, Zain looked at the floor. "Well, I... Um..."  
Karen folded her arms. "I wish MY power could heal."  
Sasha looked at her. "You can't do it?"  
"No," Karen replied, shaking her head. "I've practiced with my ability all my life; I've tried to do just about everything you can think of with it. I've never been able to heal."  
"Well, from what I've learned so far," said Zain, "it seems like everyone's gifts are different. Sasha can freeze things, and I can't."  
Karen shrugged. "I can't freeze things either. I also can't perform that solar Hyperion attack you use."  
Sasha suddenly realized that they had never really seen Karen use her PSI much, apart from her telepathy. The only time they had seen it was back at the entrance to the abandoned tunnel, when Karen had burned the barrier for them. "What CAN you do, Karen?" she asked out of curiosity. "Besides reading minds, I mean."  
Karen smiled. "I can burn things, but I guess you've seen that already." Her smile widened as she fantasized about using that ability on Mister P. "I can also electrocute things, shoot beams, make bright flashes... and drain mental energy."  
Guy blinked. "Drain mental energy?"  
"Yes," Karen replied. "It's called PSI Magnet. If I used it on, say, Sasha, I would steal her mental energy and restore my own."  
Sasha's father nodded thoughtfully. "That's an interesting ability."  
They talked for a while longer about the nuances of PSI, during which Guy began to feel increasingly left out, since he had no psychic powers to speak of. He felt as if he was the only person involved in this quest who was just an ordinary guy. He envied the others, the way they talked about PSI as if it were common and everyone had it...  
Finally, Samuel said, "Well, it'll be noon shortly. If you're ready, I can drive you to the northern outskirts of town, so you can go investigate the Tranquil Zone."  
Zain nodded. "Let's go then, Mr. Maybee. Thank you for helping us."

They took the elevator down to the first floor. As the elevator descended, Karen suddenly felt a presence in her mind. She had turned her telepathy back on earlier, and now something was brushing at her mind... Something wrong.  
She turned to Sasha's father, suddenly afraid. "Mr. Maybee..." she said, "something's downstairs, waiting for us."  
"What?" cried Samuel. Sasha, Guy, and Zain turned to her, surprised.  
Just then the elevator reached the first floor, and the door slid open.  
Karen's fear was clearly confirmed. Waiting in the lobby were about twenty mechanical creatures shaped somewhat like stars. Zain realized that they resembled the Starman Junior X that he had defeated before, except that they didn't have an X on their bodies, and they were gold-colored. The Starman robots pointed their arms at the group, and their arms began to glow menacingly.  
"No!" Sasha cried.  
"How did they find us?" asked Guy. "I do not understand this."  
"What does that matter?" Zain demanded, getting out his bat. "We're outnumbered."  
Karen glared at the Starmen; they were connected in some way to Mister P. "I don't care how many there are. I'll destroy every one of them until I find Neil!"  
Samuel began to form a plan in his head. If he could distract the enemies, maybe Sasha and her friends could escape. He would be giving up his life, but it was a price he was prepared to pay to save his daughter's life.  
Before any of them could act, however, a voice rang out in the lobby. "Stand down."  
Simultaneously, the Starmen powered down their beam weapons and lowered their arms.  
Zain's eyes darted about quickly. "Who's there?"  
Then they saw him. A man in a black flowing trenchcoat stepped forward. He had wild black hair, and his left eye was black as well. Zain and his friends stared in surprise as they saw that the right side of the man's face was a metal plate, and his right eye was a glowing red robot eye. The metal plate separated his face almost in half; just below his nose, it curved away, leaving his mouth completely intact. He stared at them intently, his remaining human features twisted into a smirk.  
Completely at a loss for words, Zain and his friends stared in shock at the newcomer. None of them had ever seen anything like this person before. Karen attempted to read his mind, but something blocked her from doing so; it was almost like what Mister P had done to protect HIS mind.  
The man spoke first. He raised his right hand, which, to their surprise, was also a metal artificial hand, and beckoned to them. "Don't just stand there," he said. "Step out of the elevator."  
Cautiously, they did so, and the elevator doors closed behind them.  
The man lowered his metal right hand, and smiled. "So I've finally found you," he said. Raising his human left hand, he pointed at them. "Target Priority Three, Target Priority One, AND the chosen leader, all at the same time."  
"Who ARE you?" Sasha cried suddenly, feeling very afraid.  
The man smiled a very evil smile, reveling in Sasha's fear. He folded his arms. "My name is Kaatz," he said. "I am the highest authority under Master Giaguo. I am his second-in-command, you could say."  
Karen's hands clenched into fists. "You... You work for the new evil, along with Mister P..."  
"The new evil?" Kaatz repeated. "This 'evil' that you speak of is actually nothing new. Master Giaguo's race is responsible for sending the Giygas to this planet 30 years ago."  
Everyone stared, dumbfounded. "Giygas was... sent by this Giaguo's race?" Guy finally stammered.  
"Indeed," Kaatz confirmed.  
The group paused to take in this new information. Finally, Sasha asked, "What do you want from us?"  
Kaatz laughed. "Isn't it obvious, girl? You're a group that is supposedly 'destined' to defeat Master Giaguo. You don't honestly think that he's just going to sit by and allow this, do you?" He pointed at her with his artificial right hand. "Besides, he's been wanting YOU for quite some time."  
Her fear deepening to terror, Sasha stepped back. "But why? I don't understand. Why is he after me?"  
"You can ask him yourself once I've brought you to him," Kaatz replied. "Because that's your next destination."  
Zain stepped in front of Sasha, gripping his bat tightly, and Sasha's father followed suit. "If you want her," Zain said, "you'll have to go through me."  
Kaatz shrugged. "That is perfectly acceptable," he stated. "After all, I've been ordered to terminate you anyway, chosen leader... Zain, isn't it?" His gaze locked on Karen. "And I've also been ordered to capture her, thanks to Mister P's incompetence."  
Karen glared at Kaatz angrily, but his gaze quickly returned to Sasha. He stared at her intently. "Before I do anything, I need to confirm something..."  
After staring at her for a moment, he nodded slightly. "I see. My theory was correct," he said, mostly to himself. "Prescient Pseal... That's one I don't have."  
Suddenly Kaatz's red optical sensor turned yellow, and he stood quietly for a few moments, deep in thought.  
Samuel Maybee didn't know what Kaatz was doing, but he did know that the man was up to no good. Attempting to catch him off guard, he took action, beginning to concentrate. "I won't let you touch my daughter, Kaatz! PSI Freeze Omega!"  
Surprised, Zain watched as a huge blast of ice, much larger than anything Sasha had ever done, manifested and froze solid... In the area where Kaatz had been standing just an instant before.  
Seeing that his attack had missed, Samuel's eyes widened in surprise. "What...?"  
"I must commend you," remarked Kaatz, who was now standing behind the group; his robot eye had returned to its normal red color. "You saw an opportunity to attack, and took advantage of it. You even almost disrupted my scan."  
Sasha's father stared at Kaatz in shock. "How... How did you...?"  
Kaatz shrugged. "You don't seriously think that I would simply leave myself open to attack, do you? There is a difference between confidence and stupidity."  
He stood thoughtfully for a moment, thinking. "This 'Prescient Pseal' is rather interesting," he finally said. "Now that I've scanned it, I can use it whenever I want. I assume that you're the one who placed it on her?"  
At a loss for words, Samuel could only nod.  
Kaatz smiled. "Well, thanks to you placing it on her, I've gained another potentially useful ability. So, I think I will show you mercy; rather than kill you, I'll simply put you out of commission."  
With this, Kaatz raised his left index finger, which began to glow menacingly, and placed it on Samuel's chest. "Frozen Pseal."  
Kaatz's finger flashed brightly, and for a moment, a blue glowing letter f appeared... And then the pseal exploded in a blast of extreme cold.  
Sasha's father was blasted across the room, and he collapsed in a heap near the far wall, covered with ice crystals. "Dad!" Sasha cried, horrified.  
"Don't worry," said Kaatz with a smirk. "He'll live. I was just getting him out of the way, to keep him out of my hair for a while."  
He turned to Zain. "Unfortunately for you, Zain, I can't show YOU the same mercy. Master Giaguo has ordered that you are to be terminated."  
Zain tightened his grip on his bat. "I won't make it easy for you."  
"I'm glad to hear that," Kaatz said. "I've been wondering about how strong you are. I'd like to see the power of a chosen leader."  
Kaatz turned around, and Guy seized the occasion. Quickly drawing his Equalizer gun, he aimed at Kaatz and fired.  
The beam passed through the space where Kaatz had been standing, hitting only empty air. Guy gaped in shock. "H-How did it miss?" he stammered.  
"Apparently, you also take advantage of opportunities," said Kaatz, who was now standing in the spot where he had originally been standing. "I had a feeling that you would try something."  
"How...? How did you dodge it?" Guy demanded. "Can you... teleport?"  
Kaatz laughed. "Unfortunately, I do not know the secret of teleportation," he said. "At least, not yet."  
Guy blinked. "Then how...?"  
"Because," Kaatz replied, "if I want to, I can move so quickly that I cannot be tracked by the untrained eye."  
Zain's eyes widened. "So, you're moving really fast from place to place, and to our eyes it looks like you're warping?"  
"Very observant of you," said Kaatz with a smirk. He turned back to Guy. "As I did before with that man, I must commend you for having the audacity to attack me, kid," he said approvingly. "Especially since you seem to have no psychic powers whatsoever. It's been quite some time since a regular run-of-the-mill person has even tried to do such a thing." Then his left eye narrowed. "However..."  
He raised his left index finger again, and once again it began to glow. "You should know, kid, that when you do such a thing, you have to be prepared to accept the consequences when you fail." He drew a symbol in the air with his finger, in the shape of a lowercase e; the symbol remained hanging in the air, attached to Kaatz's finger.  
Sasha could see that something terrible was about to happen. "Guy, look out!" she cried, knowing in her heart that it was already too late. If only she had seen it coming, she could have concentrated and built up enough energy to use Shield Gamma, but it was too late.  
Zain and Karen turned to Guy, to go to his aid, but it was too late for them as well.  
Guy's eyes widened in horror as he suddenly realized that he was about to die.  
"Electric Pseal!" Kaatz shouted. The symbol left his finger and sped towards Guy, striking him in the chest.  
An instant later, Guy screamed in complete pain as his body was wracked with lightning, and he was electrocuted. "Guy!" cried Zain, Sasha, and Karen.  
Guy's eyes rolled upwards, and his body collapsed to the floor, lifeless.  
Karen ran over to him. "Guy! Guy, no!" Zain turned and stared at him, unable to believe that this was happening. Sasha covered her face with her hands, crying.  
Standing impassively, Kaatz folded his arms again. "Contrary to what you think, he's not dead," he stated. "Almost, but not quite. Since I have what I want right here, in the form of the three of you, I can afford to be merciful."  
Zain turned back to Kaatz, and this time, his eyes were burning as red as Kaatz's right eye. "You... You're going to pay for this!" he screamed.  
To his surprise, Kaatz actually staggered backward in shock. "You... You're..."  
Then, to everyone's surprise, he actually started laughing. "I see. I see it now. So this is the power of the chosen leader!" He looked at Zain. "I'm truly going to enjoy testing your limits, Zain."  
Zain stepped forward, happy to oblige him... But Karen grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. "No, Zain," she said.  
He turned and looked at her, and Karen paled under the fury of his red gaze. But she was angry too. Mister P had stolen Neil from her, and now Kaatz had harmed Guy... The forces of the new evil had gone too far.  
"Let me go," Zain snarled, not fully in control of himself. "I'm going to destroy him!"  
Karen shook her head; although her eyes weren't red, they were burning with a fury of their own. "No, Zain. He's mine."  
Zain opened his mouth to protest, but Karen interrupted him. "Stay here," she told him. "Stay here with Sasha. You're her protector."  
Zain's fiery eyes widened. "Sasha...?"  
He turned to look at her; she was looking back at him, her sky-blue eyes stained with tears. Zain's features softened, and his eyes faded back to green. He turned back to Karen. "...Be careful..." he said.  
Kaatz sighed in boredom. "If you're quite done deliberating among yourselves..."  
Karen turned to him and stepped forward, focusing her angry stare upon him. This man had hurt Guy, and he was allied with Mister P, who had stolen Neil from her. "I will be your opponent," she said.  
"I see," said Kaatz. "Very well. I'll try to take it easy on you, so that I can take you back to Master Giaguo in one piece, more or less. But, even though it's the master's preference, I don't absolutely HAVE to bring you in alive."  
Then he looked at Sasha. "On the other hand, SHE absolutely MUST be kept in perfect condition for the master," he said. "So, I'll have to make sure that she doesn't inadvertently get... damaged."  
Suddenly he appeared in front of Sasha, too quick for Zain and Karen to react. He placed his left index finger on Sasha, and smirked. Sasha became overcome with terror, knowing that for all her PSI, she was helpless against this man.  
Kaatz smiled, relishing her fear. "Binding Pseal."  
His finger flashed, and a glowing barrier appeared around Sasha, constricting her and rendering her unable to move. A small letter b appeared where Kaatz's finger had been. Kaatz's smile widened, and he returned to his original spot again.  
Zain ran over to her. "Sasha!"  
She was unable to respond, unable to move whatsoever. Zain placed his hand on her, but the barrier stopped him from touching her.  
He turned back to Kaatz, his eyes reassuming their red hue. "What have you done to Sasha?" he demanded furiously.  
"I merely made sure that she won't be harmed by anything that happens in our fight," Kaatz explained. "That barrier is impenetrable; nothing will touch her."  
Zain turned back to her. _I have to help her!_ he thought fiercely; as he thought this, his eyes changed from red to blue.  
He placed his hand on the barrier; he had to do something. "Healing Alpha!" he cried, calling upon his power.  
Nothing happened. Kaatz suppressed a laugh.  
Zain frowned at his failure. He NEEDED to help Sasha! Scarcely aware of what he was doing, he cried, "Healing Beta!"  
Once again, nothing happened. Kaatz raised his remaining eyebrow, intrigued.  
Zain's need became dire. Unless he did something, Sasha would stay like this, unable to move or do anything. "Healing Gamma!" he shouted.  
Just as in the previous two times, absolutely nothing happened, except that Kaatz's interest increased.  
Seeing that his efforts were not having any effect, Zain became totally immersed in his need to help Sasha. The blue in his eyes became as bright as two stars. Psychic power began to gather around him, and the surrounding air began to circle around his body. Karen stared at him in disbelief, wondering how he was doing what he was doing. Kaatz's Starmen stared as well, attempting to comprehend what they were witnessing.  
Kaatz himself stared in disbelief. "Is it possible...?" he muttered. "Can he actually do it, just like that...?"  
"HEALING OMEGA!" Zain yelled, releasing all of his stored energy into the barrier, trying with all his might to shatter it.  
Nothing happened.  
Overwhelmed with disbelief, Zain's eyes immediately turned back to normal. He stared at his hand, unable to believe that he had not been able to do anything.  
Although he was surprised, and he was curious as to exactly how high the boy's need would carry him, Kaatz decided to put an end to it. "While that was impressive, Zain, your efforts to heal Sasha are futile. You can't heal her, because there is nothing wrong with her; she is simply surrounded by a barrier. Still, I must say I am impressed; I've never seen anyone develop an Omega-level ability so... quickly."  
Zain fell to his knees, unable to do anything more.  
Getting over her shock at seeing Zain release such an incredible level of power, Karen turned back to Kaatz. "I don't know what Zain just did," she said, "but I can see right now that the only way to get that barrier off of Sasha is to force you to take it off." She clenched her hands into fists, ready to fight.  
"Your assumption would be correct," said Kaatz with a smirk. "So, let's stop talking and get down to business."

Karen began by concentrating, gathering all of her mental energy for the battle. She had practiced her PSI all of her life, and now it was time to test it out to its full potential.  
Kaatz stood with his arms behind his back, allowing her to make the first move. That was fine with Karen.  
She spread the fingers of both hands at Kaatz, ready to strike. "Let's see if you can dodge this! PSI Fire Beta!"  
A rather large burst of fire spread out from her fingertips and struck the entire area where Kaatz was standing. As she had suspected, he was no longer standing there. The fire did, however, ignite the hotel lobby and set it aflame.  
Kaatz was now standing just out of the fire's range. "Starmen!" he ordered. "Put out the fire, so that this building doesn't burn down around us!"  
The Starmen immediately followed his command, spraying some kind of fire extinguisher from their arms and using PSI Freeze to snuff out the flames.  
Kaatz raised his left index finger once more. "Now, try MY fire."  
He drew a capital I in the air. "Inferno Pseal!"  
The pseal flew out at Karen, but she was ready for it. She threw herself out of the way, and the pseal collided with a Starman Elite. Immediately, the robot exploded in a giant burst of flame; still following Kaatz's orders, the remaining Starmen hurried to put out the new fire.  
Karen attacked again, not hesitating at all. "Try this one, then!" she cried, extending a finger at Kaatz and using more of her concentrated energy. "PSI Beam Beta!"  
A large beam burst forth from her finger and headed straight for Kaatz. Kaatz was suddenly standing to the right of his previous position, and the beam simply traveled through the air, shattering a lamp over on the far wall.  
The sight suddenly reminded Karen of Neil, and she remembered what had happened the last time she had broken a lamp. She hung her head, overcome by sadness.  
"You're going to have to try harder than that," Kaatz sneered. "Or is that all you're capable of?"  
Karen looked up at him furiously. Fighting to contain her anger, she concentrated and gathered more energy, preparing to strike again.  
Kaatz yawned. "This is getting dull," he said. Covering his yawn with his right hand, he drew a pseal with his left. "Frozen Pseal."  
This time Karen had anticipated his attack. She crossed her arms and used her power. "PSI Shield Alpha!"  
The psychic shield surrounded her just as the pseal fired. She saw the pseal strike the shield and burst in an explosion of frost. To her dismay, her psychic shield winked out; the force of the pseal was all it could take.  
"Pseals are a little different from conventional PSI," Kaatz explained. "They're stronger, and not dealt with easily. A psychic shield will block one, but only one."  
Karen began to feel a little afraid as she truly began to understand Kaatz's level of power. His level was far beyond hers. She was attacking with everything she had, while Kaatz was barely exerting any effort at all.  
She fought the fear, concentrating her power again. _I won't go down without a fight!_ she thought fiercely.  
Karen raised her hand again. "PSI Thunder Beta!" Two bolts of lightning manifested and struck at the enemy's area.  
Kaatz smirked as he nonchalantly dodged the first bolt... And his smirk transformed into a gape of surprise as he was struck by the second bolt.  
Surprised that she had actually hit him, Karen watched in amazement as electricity streaked throughout Kaatz's body, and he doubled over in pain. He fell to the ground as the electricity finally faded.  
Karen's face adopted a smirk of her own. "That was for Guy," she said.  
Slowly, Kaatz got back to his feet; Karen noticed that he moved a little more stiffly than normal. When he looked up at her, she saw with surprise that his red robot eye had gone out, leaving what eerily resembled a black hole. Moreover, his artificial right hand was immobilized, unable to move at all. Karen realized that Kaatz's entire right arm was artificial, as his whole arm was stiff and immobile.  
"Well done, girl," Kaatz said, his speech sounding slightly slurred. "I honestly wasn't expecting you to actually hit me. It looks like my bio-cybernetic implants have shorted out."  
He grinned somewhat. "As you can see, I have a bit of a vulnerability to electricity. With my implants offline, I can only function at about 60 of my potential. I commend you for actually harming me."  
Karen raised her hand to attack again, but then she thought better of it. "Where is Neil?" she asked.  
"You mean that kid, the one Mister P brought in?" said Kaatz. "I don't know; you'd have to ask Mister P."  
Karen glared at him. "I intend to, the next time I meet him."  
At this, Kaatz laughed. "I'm afraid that the next time you meet him, you won't be in a position to ask him anything," he said. "Have you forgotten that I'm going to capture you and bring you to Master Giaguo?"  
Her eyes narrowed. "I'm afraid that you're 'not in a position' to do THAT," she retorted.  
Kaatz laughed even harder, almost bursting with mirth. "You severely overestimate the damage you've caused me, girl," he said. "While I can only function at 60 of my full potential without my implants, that's still more than enough to handle you. Besides..." He smiled evilly as his right eye began to glow red again, and he flexed his right hand experimentally, finding it to be in perfect working order.  
"No!" Karen cried.  
"Stopping your attack was your greatest mistake, girl," Kaatz said. "Our little chat gave my implants enough time to reset themselves and return to normal working order. And now, as I told your friend before, you have to be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions." He raised his left index finger yet again.  
Karen had to do something, but most of her gathered energy had faded when she stopped concentrating. There was only one thing she had enough power for...  
She folded her hands and used it. "PSI Flash Alpha!"  
The blinding flash startled Kaatz, and he covered his left eye with his left hand, unable to see. The pseal that he had been in the process of drawing faded away, incomplete.  
_It worked!_ Karen thought, elated.  
She had to take advantage of the situation. She moved behind Kaatz, concentrating, preparing to use PSI Thunder Beta again.  
To her astonishment, Kaatz whirled around and grabbed her by the throat with his right hand. Her concentration broken, what little mental energy she had left soon faded.  
She grabbed Kaatz's hand, trying to pry it loose, but the cold metal wrapped around her throat would not budge; on the other hand, his fingers closed a little more, constricting her throat and making it harder to breathe.  
"How... How... did you... see me...?" Karen asked, choking.  
"Your tactic to blind me was successful," Kaatz told her. "However, you forgot to take into account that I have an optical sensor for a right eye. It can see quite easily, no matter what the light conditions are."  
His metal fingers closed even tighter, and Karen couldn't breathe. Kaatz bared his teeth angrily at her. "I don't like it when my remaining human parts are harmed," he told her, pointing to his left eye with his left hand. "As useful as my bio-cybernetic implants are, I would rather not have to add more of them to my body."  
Spots swam before Karen's eyes. She was suffocating.  
"I'm sure that Master Giaguo wouldn't mind TOO much if, instead of capturing you, I simply killed you instead," said Kaatz, and the cold intent in his left eye insinuated that that was exactly what he was going to do.  
A tear rolled down Karen's cheek as she began to lose consciousness. _Neil..._ she thought sadly.  
Then another voice rang out. "Release her."  
Kaatz turned to look at the source of the voice. Zain stood facing him, his hand outstretched, his eyes once again covered by the red veil of anger.  
"You wanted to fight me," Zain said, his words sharp with fury. "So release her, and fight me!"  
Kaatz smiled. "That I did." He shoved Karen over to the far wall where Sasha was being held, and she collapsed to the floor, unconscious; her neck was bruised from Kaatz's literal iron grip.  
Zain's eyes narrowed. "Apparently, I can't free Sasha from that barrier you put on her," he said. "So, you're going to take it off of her. I'm going to make you!"  
"We'll see," said Kaatz. "I will enjoy testing the limits of your power, Zain."

Kaatz stood before Zain, letting his arms fall to his sides. "Attack me with everything you have, Zain," he said.  
Caught up in the storm of his own rage, Zain was only too happy to oblige. He thrust his hand forward, sending his power flying forth. "PSI Hyperion Alpha!"  
His attack was larger than normal; it completely devastated the hotel lobby. Many of Kaatz's Starmen were caught in the attack and blown to bits.  
Now standing slightly to the left of the blast zone, Kaatz nodded approvingly. "Well done," he said. "My Starman Elite models are much stronger than the so-called 'Final' version that the Giygas used 30 years ago. Your PSI potential must be phenomenal if you can simply eradicate them like that."  
"You're next," Zain stated, feeling his power gather about him again. Energy began to crackle around his body, and the now-familiar wind began to swirl about him.  
Kaatz nodded. "Try again, then."  
"PSI Hyperion Alpha!" Zain shouted. The solar attack burst forth from him again, and sped toward Kaatz even faster than before. Kaatz's expression changed to one of surprise just before he seemed to vanish and reappear somewhere else, evading again.  
"That was close," Kaatz said. "You actually almost hit me that time. If you had, I don't even know if I would have been able to shrug THAT off."  
He smiled at Zain. "You are really something, kid," he said. "You're nothing like these other people you've been traveling with."  
Zain responded only by gathering his power again, feeling his intense anger toward Kaatz.  
Kaatz took a better look at Zain. "Do you even know why you're different?" he asked.  
Zain's hand lowered slightly, and the swirling energy aura about him became distorted. "What... What do you mean?"  
"You don't know, do you?" Kaatz asserted triumphantly. "You have no idea of the kind of power you're capable of. You simply use it without thinking."  
The youth's blank, confused expression was all Kaatz needed. He stepped toward Zain. "Your PSI gift is different from others, Zain," he said. "Tell me: have you ever once had to concentrate to bring this power forth?"  
Zain thought about it. Sasha had told him that a person had to concentrate to use PSI, but... "No," he answered. "Now that I think about it... I've never had to."  
"So, how do you use it, then?" Kaatz asked, almost like a scientist inspecting some rare once-in-a-lifetime find.  
"I... I use it when I want to," Zain replied. "And sometimes... When I NEED to."  
"Exactly," Kaatz agreed. "The source of your power, Zain, does not come from concentrated mental energy, like it does for most beings..." He paused. "Tell me, Zain... What are you feeling right now?"  
Zain had no trouble answering him. "Anger," he replied; his eyes glowed even redder as he said it.  
"And a lot of it, it looks like," Kaatz added. "Normally, beings with PSI try not to feel such intense emotions when they call upon their power, because the emotion interferes with their concentration. But you're different, Zain; YOUR gift is fueled by your emotions. You're an empathic psychic."  
"A what?" Zain asked, confused.  
"An empathic psychic," Kaatz repeated. "One whose PSI is powered by the force of his emotion. In all my years, I have never met one before, though I have heard tales about them."  
He sighed and stepped forward. "It's a shame that such a rare person has to be destroyed."  
At the mention of Kaatz's intent, Zain raised his hand again. "You'll do no such thing!" Zain shouted. "PSI Hyperion Alpha!"  
Kaatz hadn't expected such a sudden outburst. He barely evaded the attack, and watched more of his Starmen explode under the force of Zain's energy.  
Although it was his duty to kill Zain, Kaatz couldn't help being intrigued by the awesome power that the youth was exhibiting. Any normal person would be phenomenally drained by such a large energy expenditure, but Zain was showing barely any strain, if any at all.  
Kaatz decided to see how far Zain could go. "You know," he said, "Master Giaguo has been waiting to see that girl for some time." He pointed to Sasha, who was still immobilized.  
Zain's eyes narrowed, and the red fire in them burned even brighter. Kaatz smiled; he was definitely getting somewhere. "If you only knew of what the master had in mind for her..." He ended this comment with a deliberately sinister laugh.  
That did it. "I'LL RIP YOU APART!" Zain screamed. In addition to the red in his eyes, the mostly-invisible aura surrounding him began to glow red as well, as he bared his teeth at the enemy. Zain wasn't even thinking consciously anymore; his anger had completely taken over.  
For the first time in the entire encounter, Kaatz felt afraid. What had he unleashed?  
Berating himself for his foolishness, Kaatz knew that he had to stop this now before things got out of hand. If he provoked Zain anymore, it was possible that the boy might actually surpass Kaatz's level.  
Quickly, Kaatz drew a pseal in the air with his left hand. "Frozen Pseal!" With a flick of his wrist, he sent it shooting off at Zain, hoping to freeze the boy in his tracks.  
What happened next made Kaatz's jaw drop. Zain caught the pseal out of the air and threw it back at him.  
Kaatz was so dumbfounded by this that he did nothing to evade it. His own pseal hit him squarely on the chest and erupted in a blast of ice, knocking him to the floor. In all his life, no one had ever managed to deflect one of Kaatz's pseals in such a manner. The feat suggested that Zain might actually be capable of mastering the art of pseals himself...  
His thought was interrupted as Zain aimed his outstretched hand at him. "NOW DIE!" Zain screamed.  
Kaatz had to do something. Hastily he drew another pseal in the air, this time for himself. "Psychoprotection Pseal!"  
It was not a moment too soon. Zain released all of his anger, letting it erupt forth. "PSI HYPERION BETA!"  
A giant blast of solar energy, much larger than anything Zain had ever done before, burst from his hand like a cannon. It struck Kaatz full on, erupting in a blinding explosion of sunlight.

Kaatz's optical sensor was still working. He seemed to still be alive. However, its scan showed that his Psychoprotection Pseal had been eradicated.  
He looked around quickly and noticed, to his surprise, that he was lying in a crater. Around him, the floor of the hotel had caved in.  
Quickly, he got up and assessed the damage that had been done to him. His trenchcoat was scorched, but other than that, he seemed to be fine. The pseal had protected him from Zain's assault.  
He got out of the crater and faced Zain. The boy was standing where he had been before, looking at his hand. The aura of fury was gone from him, and his eyes had lost much of their red hue. _So,_ Kaatz thought, starting to feel confident again, _he expended almost all of his anger in that last attack. He's vulnerable now; I have to strike before he can become angry again._ He began to concentrate, gathering his mental energy.  
As Kaatz approached him, Zain looked up, and his eyes widened in disbelief... But only for a moment. His eyes narrowed and began to become red again; there was still some anger left in him.  
Kaatz refrained from using a pseal this time; Zain had already showed that he could probably deflect it. Instead, Kaatz fell back on conventional PSI, something that he rarely did.  
He struck immediately, not giving Zain any chance to react, with an attack that he reserved only for the toughest of foes. "PSI Starstorm Omega!"  
The awesome star attack crashed into Zain, sending him flying into the far wall. The lenses in Zain's goggles shattered under the force of the energy.  
Kaatz smiled, pleased with himself. He had not used that attack in a long time; it was good to know that it still retained its potency.  
He looked over at Zain, to inspect whatever remained of the chosen leader. To his surprise, Zain was slumped against the wall, completely in one piece. The boy opened his green eyes and stared up at him.  
"I have won," said Kaatz. "And now, I will carry out Master Giaguo's order, and eliminate you. I have to admit, though... You did a lot better than I thought you would. I am truly impressed." He raised his left index finger, to draw a pseal.  
Zain closed his eyes. "If you're going to kill me, then do it," he said. "But please, let Sasha go. Please don't take her back to your Master Giaguo."  
Caught off guard, Kaatz lowered his finger. Instead of pleading for his life, Zain was pleading for the life and freedom of Target Priority One. Kaatz had not expected this.  
"Please," Zain repeated. "She doesn't deserve whatever your master's going to do to her. Please, let her go."  
Faced with such selflessness, something within Kaatz, a part of him that he had thought long dead, wanted to actually do what Zain asked. But he could not. "I cannot," he told him. "I will not disobey Master Giaguo. His orders must be carried out."  
Zain lowered his head, knowing that he had failed. Kaatz put aside his doubts and raised his finger again. It was time to carry out Master Giaguo's orders.  
Then, suddenly, a voice called out from behind him. "Stop," it ordered.  
Kaatz halted, surprised. Who could it be this time?  
He slowly turned around, to see who was interfering with him this time. His jaw dropped in complete and utter astonishment.

Before him stood a young boy, about 12 years old at the most. He had black hair and black eyes.  
It was the boy's garb that surprised Kaatz so much. He was dressed in a regal cloak, diadem, and bracer... Items that Kaatz had seen before, many years ago.  
From where he lay slumped against the wall, Zain looked at the newcomer... And he was suddenly struck by the now-familiar sense of deja vu.  
"Who are you?" Kaatz demanded. "Where did you get those items?"  
The boy reached inside his cloak and surprised Kaatz even further by drawing forth a sword. "I am Kato, Crown Prince of Dalaam and member of the Chosen Eight," he stated.  
Zain's eyes widened; this newcomer already knew that he was part of the Chosen Eight!  
"Let them go," Kato ordered. "Or I will destroy you with the Sword of Kings."  
Kaatz continued to stare in disbelief. _It can't be!_ he thought. _The royal line of Dalaam was broken!_  
Yet here this boy stood, challenging him. He could not be lying; his features almost exactly resembled those of another person, one whom Kaatz knew all too well...  
Finally, Kaatz made his decision. "I will leave, this time... Kato," he said. "But you can be assured that I will be back. And when I do, there will be no mercy."  
He turned to Zain, who looked up at him. "It appears that today is not your day to die, Zain," he said. "And I'll leave the girl with you for now. But know this: you and I will meet again. And when we do, you are finished."  
Kaatz walked over to his remaining Starman Elite models, of which there were about four. "Call a transport," he ordered them. "We're leaving."  
"But Lord Kaatz," said one of the Starmen, "you have not carried out your orders from Master Giaguo."  
"I will take responsibility," said Kaatz. "Now do as I say!"  
"As you wish, Lord Kaatz." The Starman Elite procured a communicator and called a ship. After a moment, Kaatz and the four Starmen vanished in a flash of light.

Kato ran over to Zain. "Are you injured badly?" he asked.  
Zain slowly got to his feet. "I think I'll be okay... Kato," he said. "Thanks for helping us."  
"You are welcome," Kato replied. "As a member of the Chosen Eight, it is my task to assist you."  
Zain scratched his head. "How do you already know about that, anyway?" he asked. "I don't get it."  
"I will explain later," said Kato. "For now, we should give aid to those who are injured."  
Zain nodded. "Right. Can you use your PSI to heal?"  
"Yes," answered Kato.  
"Okay then," said Zain. He pointed at Samuel Maybee's body. "You go over there and bring him around, while I tend to Guy and Karen."  
"As you wish." Kato ran over to carry out Zain's request.  
Zain walked over to Karen and placed his hand on her bruised throat. He had to help her; his eyes turned blue as he summoned his power. "Lifeup Beta," he said softly.  
The bruises on her throat disappeared, and Karen opened her eyes. "...Zain...?"  
"Karen, are you okay?" asked Zain.  
"I... I think so," Karen replied.  
"Good. I'll go and heal Guy." Zain moved over to Guy's body and used his power to heal him as well.  
Guy slowly woke up. "Where... Where am I?" he asked.  
"You're back with us," Zain replied.  
"Oh... I am glad," said Guy. "When Kaatz attacked me, I was certain that I was going to die."  
"Well, thankfully you didn't," said Zain. "We need you, you know. You're our friend." He held out his hand to help Guy up.  
Guy smiled, and took Zain's hand, allowing himself to be pulled up. "Thank you, Zain."

Soon Karen, Guy, and Samuel were back to normal. "Who's he?" asked Karen, gesturing at Kato. "And where did Kaatz go?"  
"I'll explain everything later," Zain promised. "But first, something else has to be done."  
He turned to Sasha, who was still imprisoned by Kaatz's Binding Pseal. "I have to free her somehow," Zain stated.  
"But you couldn't heal her," Karen reminded him. "You tried everything, and it didn't work."  
Samuel laid his hand on Sasha, unable to touch her because of the barrier. "My daughter, trapped like this... Is there anything that can be done?" he asked.  
"I don't know," Zain replied. "All I know is that I have to free her somehow."  
"But how?" asked Karen. "You already tried to heal her."  
"I don't intend to heal her," said Zain. "I want to free her."  
He laid his hand on the actual pseal itself, a small letter b. _Healing doesn't work,_ he thought. _But there must be SOME way to break this pseal. I have to do it!_  
His eyes turned blue, and he called upon his power. Strangely enough, the pseal felt like Kaatz, almost as if he were still there.  
Zain focused his power. _I have to free her!_ he thought. _I have to break that pseal! I have to free Sasha! I NEED to free Sasha!_  
Suddenly there was a snap, and the pseal shattered. The barrier around Sasha faded away, and she blinked. "What... What happened to me?" she asked, confused.  
Then she saw Zain, smiling at her, as his eyes faded from blue to green. Sasha was suddenly filled with a strong urge to throw her arms around him... So she did.

"We have to get out of here," said Sasha's father. "If we stay in this building, Kaatz could come back and find us at any time."  
Zain nodded in agreement. "I still don't know why Kaatz left and let us go, but we have to take advantage of the situation," he said. "Let's find a safer place to talk, and then I'll explain everything that happened while you all were unconscious." As he said this, he gave a slight nod to Kato, who was presently silent.  
"Let's go, then," said Samuel. "I have a place in mind for us to go to. I'll go and get the company car."  
As Sasha's father went to get the car, Zain looked at each of his friends, certain that they were thinking the same thing that he was. There might be five of them now, but that did not make them feel much better, now that they had all gotten their first true taste of what they were up against.

**_To be continued..._**  



	17. Earthbound 202X Part 17

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 17: The Tranquil Zone**

Sasha's father pulled into the driveway and parked the car. "Here we are," he said, opening the door and getting out.  
Sasha opened the passenger door and got out as well, looking at their surroundings. They were in a residential area of Troisemburg, and her father had taken them to a medium-sized house. It was an older house, and Sasha almost felt an air of comfort from it, despite the rain.  
Suddenly, she heard a knock on the car window, coming from the backseat. Turning around, Sasha realized that they must be having trouble getting out.  
She walked over and opened the backseat door. Immediately, Zain fell out, sprawling on the ground; he was followed by Karen and Guy, who fell on top of him.  
Guy looked up at Sasha, frowning. "The next time your father says that four people can fit in a backseat, I shall have to disagree with him," he stated.  
Karen sighed. "I couldn't agree more."  
From underneath them came a muffled voice. "Mmm mmm mm mm!"  
Realizing their situation, Karen and Guy rolled off of Zain, embarrassed. Trying not to laugh, Sasha bent down and helped Zain to his feet. "Are you okay, Zain?" she asked.  
"I'll live," Zain replied. He looked at Karen and Guy. "They're just lucky they didn't cut themselves on these." He pointed to his goggles; nothing remained of their lenses except for broken glass shards.  
"Sorry, Zain," said Karen. "I didn't mean to fall on you. We were squeezed in there so tightly that when the door opened, I couldn't help but fall out."  
Guy nodded in agreement. "It was the same with me. I apologize, Zain."  
A voice spoke up from inside the car. "It is because you have no sense of balance."  
The four friends turned and looked as the newest member of their group calmly opened the door on the other side of the car and got out. "If a Dalaamese warrior were to fall in that manner, it would be a disgrace."  
Zain turned to Kato as the younger boy came around the car to face them. "I guess it's a good thing we're not Dalaamese warriors, then," he joked, scratching his head.  
Kato nodded solemnly. "Indeed."  
The four of them stared at Kato, surprised. "You don't have to be so blunt about it," Sasha admonished him.  
"I speak only the truth," Kato told her. He turned away and walked over to Sasha's father, his regal cloak billowing around him.  
Zain stared after him in disbelief. "He's acting awfully high-and-mighty for a little kid," he said quietly.  
Kato stopped walking and glanced back over his shoulder. "I heard that."  
Ignoring them, Guy walked up to Sasha's father. "Where are we, Mr. Maybee?" he asked.  
Samuel turned to him. "This house belongs to a friend of ours, Guy," he replied. "The other member of our Scrabble team."  
Guy's eyes widened, and he looked at the house in a new light. "This is where Mark Wyrd lives?" he said. "I have never seen his home before."  
Samuel turned to the others. "Everyone, let's get inside quickly, so we can get out of this rain," he said.  
Sasha nodded. "Right, Dad." She turned to the others.

Mark Wyrd was more than a little surprised to see Samuel Maybee show up at his house with four teenagers and a 12-year-old in tow. "M-Mr. Maybee!" he stammered. "What are you doing here?"  
"I'm sorry to disturb you on your day off, Mark," said Sasha's father, "but it's an emergency. The hotel I was staying at was attacked, and I didn't know where else to go."  
"A... Attacked?" Mark repeated. "You mean like that city in America was attacked earlier this morning?"  
Guy stepped forward upon hearing this. "There was another attack?"  
Upon seeing Guy, Mark Wyrd became even more surprised. "Guy!" he cried. "What are you doing here? You know what your father said: you're not supposed to leave the base!"  
"It was my doing," Samuel answered for Guy. "A situation has come up, and it's no longer possible for Guy to stay at the base. In any case, this isn't about him; it's about the fact that aliens are invading Earth."  
Mark sighed. "You're right," he said. "There was an emergency news report this morning that said that the town of Spookane, in America, was invaded by aliens and strange phenomena, not to mention creatures of the Madness."  
"Strange phenomena?" said Guy. "What kind of strange phenomena do you mean?"  
Mark stared at him. "All kinds of weird stuff was happening," he replied. "The reporter who gave the emergency report earlier said that everyday objects, like cars and even road signs, were actually moving by themselves, attacking people. Not only that, but strange tentacled aliens showed up and started abducting people. A lot of people in Spookane have just... disappeared."  
Karen's eyes narrowed. "Abducted... Just like Neil..."  
Then Mark looked at the others who had arrived with Samuel. "Mr. Maybee, who are these other kids you've brought with you?"  
Sasha's father sighed. "Mark, we need to talk."

About a half hour later, they finished explaining to Mark what was going on.  
Mark sighed. "Geez," he said, "I sure didn't expect anything like this."  
He looked at the five youths. "So, you're basically the successors to the four heroes that defeated Giygas 30 years ago."  
Zain nodded. "That's right, Mr. Wyrd. Thank you for letting us stay here for now."  
"It's not a problem," Mark assured them. "I don't know if I believe in the whole 'chosen ones' thing, but in times like this, we need all the hope we can get."  
Karen sighed. "I just hope we haven't put you in danger, Mr. Wyrd," she said. "Somehow, the enemy keeps finding us, as if they always know our exact location. Mister P found Guy, Neil, and I in Duplora, and Kaatz found us at the hotel in this town." She looked at the floor. "Why do they keep finding us? Can they read our thoughts?"  
Her words gave Guy an idea. "Karen..." he said, "I believe I may have found the reason for that."  
Everyone turned to look at him, waiting expectantly. Surprised by the attention, Guy cleared his throat and offered his explanation. "Karen, your telepathy allows you to read the thoughts of others, correct?"  
Karen nodded. "Yeah, ever since I found out I had it."  
"Then here is my theory," Guy offered. "If your telepathy allows you to read others' thoughts, then it would only make sense that you are projecting your own thoughts as well. We may not be able to read them, but it is possible that the enemy has agents who can."  
Everyone stared at Guy in surprise, and Karen gasped in astonishment. "I... I never even thought of that!" she cried. "That means..."  
She paused as the truth finally dawned on her. Somehow, she knew that Guy was right. "So then... Every time someone's come after us... It was because of me." She closed her eyes, filled with guilt. "It's all my fault."  
Zain shook his head. "It's not your fault, Karen," he assured her. "There was no way you could have known."  
Sasha smiled at Karen. "Besides, can't you just keep your telepathy turned off? If you block yourself from reading thoughts, that should block you from projecting thoughts, too."  
Karen slowly nodded. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. "It's done," she said. "My telepathy is disabled. I'll leave it that way from now on."  
Guy nodded. "Then, the forces of the new evil should not be able to find us anymore... At least, not as easily as they have in the past."  
He cleared his throat. "So, now that we have handled that matter..." His gaze turned to Kato. "There is the matter of who YOU are, and where you have come from."  
Kato folded his arms. "My name is Kato," he replied. "Although you already know that. I am a warrior of Dalaam, and a member of the Chosen Eight."  
"A warrior?" Sasha repeated. "But you don't look... old enough."  
"I may be only 12 years old," Kato said, "but I have been trained in the art of fighting all my life. Besides, if I recall correctly, most of the Chosen Four were not much older, when they defeated Giygas."  
Zain shrugged. "Well, in any case, you're right about being one of the Chosen Eight. I knew as soon as I saw you."  
"Is that so?" Kato replied, raising an eyebrow.  
Sasha looked at Zain. "Well, Zain's the leader, so he seems to have some kind of ability to recognize the other members," she said. "If he says that you're one of us, then you must be."  
"There's still one thing I don't get, though," said Zain. "Kato, how do you already know about the Chosen Eight? You're the only one I've met who already knows."  
Kato stared solemnly at him. "I was told my destiny by the old master, who resides in the palace of Dalaam," he answered. "He is very wise, and he is able to see the flow of time and destiny during his meditations. After he told me of my destiny, he sent me here, to join your cause."  
He smiled. "It's almost fitting, I suppose," he continued. "After all, I am the son of Emperor Poo, one of the Chosen Four who defeated Giygas."  
Everyone started in surprise upon hearing this. "You are... Poo's son?" Guy stammered.  
"Indeed I am," Kato replied, almost enjoying their astonishment.  
"It doesn't matter who he is," Zain said, getting over his surprise. "All that matters is that he saved us from Kaatz back there. If he hadn't shown up and helped us, it would have been all over for us at that hotel." He looked at Kato. "We're all in your debt, Kato."  
"It's nothing," Kato assured him. "As a member of the Chosen Eight, it is my duty to help you." He paused for a moment. "Also, if, at any time, I ever seem arrogant toward you and the others, I apologize. The culture of this country is vastly different from my own, and I when I compare the two, I see mine as... superior, even if I do not wish to."  
Karen smiled at him. "That's okay, Kato," she said. "I bet if we went to Dalaam, we'd think Hawkland culture was better."  
"Speak for yourself," Sasha retorted.  
Karen winced. "Oh, sorry, Sasha," she apologized. "I keep forgetting you're not from Hawkland either."

They talked for a while longer, getting to know their new companion. Finally, Zain said, "Not that I have anything against talking, but we should probably go check out the Tranquil Zone. We don't know when or if we'll ever run into Kaatz again, and we need to find the Sanctuaries."  
"I was just about to say that," Samuel agreed. "But are you sure you're rested well enough? I know I was unconscious for most of that fight with Kaatz, but it must have been pretty taxing."  
"We're fine, Dad," Sasha replied. "At least... I think we are." She turned to the others. "Sorry, I didn't mean to speak for everyone."  
Guy adjusted his glasses. "I am prepared," he said.  
"That fight took a lot out of me," Karen admitted, "but I'm fine now."  
Kato simply nodded his assent.  
Zain smiled at her. "I'm ready whenever you are."  
Sasha's father nodded. "Okay then," he said. "I'll drive the five of you to the northern outskirts of town, and from there you can go north into the forest and find the Tranquil Zone."  
Karen frowned. "Please don't tell me that we all have to squeeze into your company car again, Mr. Maybee."  
Mark Wyrd shook his head. "You can use my minivan, Mr. Maybee," he offered. "It's got more than enough room for everyone."  
Samuel turned to him. "Are you sure, Mark?" he asked.  
"Of course," Mark replied. "I'm not going anywhere in this rain anyway."  
"It's settled, then," Zain stated. "Let's go to the Tranquil Zone!"

It took about a half hour for Samuel to drive them through town to the northern outskirts of Troisemburg. In the roomy comfort of Mark Wyrd's minivan, it was much more comfortable for all of them. The black clouds still covered the sky, and the rain continued to fall, still showing no signs of stopping.  
Finally, Sasha's father pulled over to the side of the road. "This is as far as I can take you," he said. "There aren't any roads where you're going; from here, you'll have to walk."  
From where she was sitting in the passenger seat, Sasha looked at him. "Dad, you're saying that as if you're not going with us."  
Samuel looked down at the steering wheel, not speaking for a moment. "...I'm not," he finally said.  
Everyone looked at him as he said this. "What do you mean?" asked Karen. "We need your help, Mr. Maybee!"  
Sasha's father turned to look at all of them. "I've done all I can for you," he said. "I have to go back to the Orange Enterprises base now."  
"But why?" Sasha demanded. "Saving the world is more important than your job!"  
Samuel closed his eyes. "...You're right, sweetheart," he replied. "It IS more important. It's also more important for me to keep you safe."  
Then he looked at Guy. "But I have to go back, and not because of my job. I'm covering up Guy's absence at the base, so that no one knows he's not there anymore. I can't risk his father finding out."  
Guy returned his look. "At this point, Mr. Maybee," he said, "I do not care if he finds out. I could care less what that selfish miser thinks. You should stay with your daughter, Mr. Maybee."  
Sasha's father sighed. "...I can't, Guy. You don't understand what your father will do if he finds out you're gone. He'll send people here to find you, and if they do, they'll keep you from your mission." He looked at Sasha. "And judging from the type of 'people' that I think Orangeman Orangere will send, they'll endanger all of you, my daughter included."  
He shook his head. "I'm sorry, everyone, but Guy's absence from the base MUST remain a secret."  
Zain nodded in understanding. "It's okay, Mr. Maybee," he told him. "We'll be fine on our own. It's not as if we can't take care of ourselves, after all."  
Samuel smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, Zain," he said. "Sasha will be safe with you. I know you'll protect her as you've been doing."  
Zain scratched his head. "Well, it's not one-way, you know," he corrected. "We protect each other." Sasha turned and smiled warmly at him.  
"Right," Samuel agreed. "Anyway, once you've visited the Sanctuary..." He handed Zain a slip of paper. "You can reach me at this number. I won't be able to do much, but I may be able to tell you where the next Sanctuary is. Once I get back to the base, I'm going to review all of my files of paranormal events, and see if I can possibly find out anything else about other Sanctuaries."  
"Very well, Mr. Maybee," said Guy. "Thank you for all of your help."  
Suddenly Samuel started in surprise. "Oh, I almost forgot," he said. "Mark Wyrd gave me this to give to you, Guy."  
He handed Guy a small bag, filled with various parts. "He found these parts in the base while you were gone," Samuel explained. "He wanted you to have these; maybe you can use them in your 'projects.'"  
Guy accepted the gift gratefully. "On the next time you encounter Mr. Wyrd, please give him my thanks," he said.  
"I will," Samuel promised. "Be careful, all of you."

The thick cover of the forest helped shield them from most of the rain, but it also blocked out most of what little light there was. Still, everything was soaked, and the five of them had to avoid stepping in large mud holes that dotted the ground. Sasha and Karen used their umbrellas to avoid getting wet from the rain that passed through the foliage.  
The group adopted a sort of formation as they trudged through the forest. Being the fastest and most agile by far, Kato took the lead; if they encountered any Madness creatures, he would react much more quickly than anyone else. Karen and Guy took the rear, both of them constantly checking behind them in case anything tried to attack them from the rear. Karen had her frying pan ready, and there was an occasional _ping_ as it was struck by drops of water falling from the trees. Guy kept his hand in his pocket, ready to draw out his gun in an instant if he had to.  
That left Zain and Sasha in the middle. Both of them constantly scanned either side, watching out for Madness creatures. Both of them had walked through forests before, and both of them knew that in the forest, enemies could attack in an instant, at any time.  
However, no enemies came forth as they traveled. It seemed that the constant, neverending rain was keeping the creatures of the Madness from coming out.  
As they walked, Sasha glanced over at Zain, and noticed a sad look in his eyes. Wondering what was the matter, she asked, "Zain, what's wrong?"  
"It's nothing," Zain responded tersely. "Don't worry about it."  
Sasha knew he was lying, so she pressed the matter. "No, something's definitely wrong, Zain; I can see it. I'm your friend; you can talk to me, right?"  
Zain closed his eyes. "...It's these," he answered, pointing to his broken goggles. "They were broken when I fought Kaatz."  
He looked at her. "They're the only thing I have left of my dad," he continued. "Now that they're broken..."  
Sasha nodded, understanding. "Maybe you can have them fixed in town, when we get the chance," she suggested.  
"I hope so," Zain agreed. He was silent for a moment. "...There's something else."  
"What is it?" she asked.  
"...When I fought Kaatz... He told me something," Zain said. "Something about my PSI."  
Sasha blinked. "About your PSI?" she repeated. "What did he say?"  
"He called me... an empathic psychic," said Zain. "He said that I don't have to concentrate when I use my power... He said that my power comes from my emotions."  
Sasha thought about this. It certainly solved a lot of unanswered riddles about Zain's unique PSI. "That must be why you're able to use your power so fast," she said thoughtfully. "Like in the fight with Turbo Cat at Lumina Pillar. That also explains why you get so angry when you're about to attack someone: the power must be feeding off of your anger."  
"But it's not just anger that fuels my power," Zain replied. "When Kaatz put that Binding Pseal on you, I tried everything in my power to heal you. When I did that, my ability to heal expanded phenomenally. It was as if my power was responding to my... need, to help you. And, I didn't use my power on you because I was angry."  
The look in Zain's eyes finished what he was saying for him. _You did it because you care about me,_ Sasha thought. The thought made her feel happier than ever, and she smiled joyfully. "Thank you, Zain," she said. "You saved me from being taken to the dark one."  
Zain shook his head. "You can thank Kato for that," he corrected. "I don't know how he did it, but HE'S the one who made Kaatz leave." He looked down. "I couldn't defeat Kaatz, even with my empathic PSI. If it weren't for Kato, you WOULD have been taken to Giaguo."  
"Maybe," Sasha replied. "But YOU'RE the one who broke that pseal and freed me from that barrier." As she said that, she suddenly wondered about something. She reached up and touched the Prescient Pseal on her forehead. "I wonder... If you were able to break that other pseal, maybe you can break this one too."  
"I don't know," said Zain. "I don't even want to try. The last thing we need is for you to start having those dreams again and suffer from insomnia."  
Sasha laughed. "I wouldn't want that either."  
Zain laughed with her, but the concept made HIM wonder as well. _COULD I break it?_ he wondered. He guessed that if he really wanted to, he probably could.  
Suddenly a voice sounded from up ahead. "This must be the place," said Kato.  
They stood before a high cliff, which rose into the sky. It was vertical, and there was no way that they could possibly climb it. At the base of the cliff, in front of them, was a gaping hole that led underground.  
Guy and Karen caught up with them. "The Tranquil Zone must be through that cave," said Karen.  
Rummaging through his items, Guy got out his flashlight. "It would appear that the situation calls for the flashlights."  
Karen turned to him. "Can't you just say 'We need the flashlights'?"  
Guy looked away, feeling uncomfortable. "...We need the flashlights."  
Karen smiled. "See? You don't have to talk so formally all the time."  
Guy shook his head. "I cannot help it," he replied.  
"I CAN'T help it," Karen corrected. "Try it."  
Trying to please her, Guy swallowed. "I can... I... I can... I... cannot... help it..."  
Karen sighed. "You're hopeless."  
"That isn't true," Kato retorted, joining in the conversation. "In Dalaam, Guy would be greatly respected for his eloquent manner of speaking."  
Guy smiled. "I am grateful for your opinion, Kato."  
Zain got out his own flashlight, turning it on and peering into the cave. "There's one thing that can be said for this place," he remarked. "It's dry."  
"Dry is good," said Karen.  
Zain turned to face them. "Is everyone ready?"  
His four companions nodded their agreement. "Okay then," said Zain. "Let's go inside. We'll use the same formation as before."

Despite its potential dangers, the cave was a welcome change, as it was indeed dry compared to outside. Zain and Guy used their flashlights to illuminate the area as they walked.  
Kato was in front, and he had no flashlight, but it didn't matter; his finely-trained senses allowed him to know where he was going even in the dark. He remembered what it had been like during the test of pain, when all of those senses had been stripped away from him; the thought made him even more grateful that he had them.  
None of them talked this time. The very sound of their footsteps echoed throughout the cave, except for Kato, who made no sound at all. If they spoke, it would cause even more of a disturbance, and they were making a large enough disturbance already.  
Suddenly the five of them heard a loud growl from up ahead, which echoed everywhere. Zain aimed his flashlight ahead, and the bright light reflected off of six glowing red eyes. "Madness creatures!" he cried.  
There was another growl, and three large bears appeared, baring their sharp teeth at the intruding humans. Zain gulped; they had never fought such large animals before. He was not allowed to think about it for long, though, because the bears let out a mighty roar and attacked simultaneously.  
Kato met one of them with the Sword of Kings. He easily sidestepped the bear's charge and scored several deep cuts on it. Enraged, the bear turned to face him.  
The second bear headed for Zain. Zain couldn't use his power; if he did, he would hit Kato as well. He got out his baseball bat and adopted a defensive posture. It wasn't necessary, however; Sasha came up next to him and used her power. "PSI Freeze Beta!"  
Blasted by ice, the second bear was knocked back. But the reprieve was only temporary; the bear roared angrily and headed for them again.  
The third bear charged at Karen and Guy. Karen concentrated and pointed her finger at it, while Guy got out his Equalizer gun and took aim. "PSI Beam Beta!" Karen cried, releasing her psychic beam; at the same time, Guy fired his gun.  
The double beams smashed into the bear with tremendous force. It collapsed to the ground and did not rise again.  
Karen turned to Guy, smiling. "We make a pretty good team, Guy."  
"We certainly do," Guy replied, returning her smile.  
Meanwhile, Kato had wounded the first bear even more; however, its tough hide protected it from the full force of Kato's sword. Kato knew that if he did not do something different, he would eventually make a mistake, and then the bear would have him.  
Applying a new strategy, Kato managed to maneuver so that his enemy was out of range of Zain and the others. "I have you now," he said. Concentrating and delving into his training, Kato thrust his palm outward. "PSI Starstorm Alpha!"  
The technique worked exactly as Emperor Poo had taught him. A brilliant starburst came forth from his palm and smashed into the bear. Kato's enemy was blasted into the wall, and it fell to the ground, defeated.  
Zain and Sasha were having trouble with the second bear, which was now the only one still on its feet. As the bear charged them, Sasha used her power again. "PSI Freeze Beta!"  
The effect was the same as last time. Although the ice attack stunned it for a moment, the bear's hide was simply too thick for it to be overly affected by the cold.  
Before it recovered, Zain dashed in and dealt a blow with his bat. The bear roared furiously and swiped at Zain with its huge paw. Zain just barely managed to evade the attack; if it had connected, he would have been cut to ribbons.  
"Zain, be careful!" Sasha cried, concerned for him.  
"I'm okay!" Zain replied, dodging another attack from the bear. Suddenly, he noticed that there nobody else in front of him besides his enemy. He had a perfectly clear shot.  
That was all he needed. Zain's eyes turned as red as the bear's, and he stretched his hand at the bear. "PSI Hyperion Beta!"  
The bear stood no chance against Zain's improved solar attack. It soon joined the others.  
With all of their enemies defeated, Zain looked around. "Is everyone okay?"  
Sasha nodded affirmatively. "It never even reached me."  
"I am unharmed," Kato replied.  
"We're fine, too," Karen added, coming up to them. "It never stood a chance against me and Guy."  
"Great," said Zain. "Let's keep going."

Some distance later, the group saw light ahead. "There's light!" Karen cried. "We must have made it to the other end!"  
Zain and Sasha looked at each other, remembering what had happened at Lumina Pillar. "Be careful," Zain advised. "I have a bad feeling about this."  
They continued onward, and finally reached the source of the light. Zain's fears were confirmed; a very brightly shining orb hovered in their way, giving off white light in all directions.  
"What is this?" asked Guy.  
"Be on guard," Zain answered. "If this is anything like at Lumina Pillar..."  
Suddenly the shining orb reacted. Seeming to pull all of the light back into itself, it changed shape and took on a form.  
Finally the light died out, and the group stared at what had emerged. It was a huge bear, fully twice as high as any of them. It had dark, almost blueish fur, and its paws sported long claws that were clearly designed for slashing enemies to pieces.  
The giant bear looked down haughtily upon the five humans, and spoke. "Welcome, intruders. I am the Mighty Bear Seventy, loyal follower of the master. Beyond here is the Tranquil Zone."  
Karen, Guy, and Kato stared in shock, surprised that it could talk. Zain faced the guardian, and raised his bat at him. "Listen well," he declared. "We defeated Turbo Cat at Lumina Pillar, and we can defeat you too. Either let us through to the Sanctuary, or we'll destroy you!"  
The Mighty Bear Seventy grinned. "Bold words for a puny human," he remarked. "But I am not intimidated. I can crush all five of you like bugs."  
Sasha stepped up to Zain's side. "Let us through to the Tranquil Zone!" she demanded.  
"The Tranquil Zone is mine," said the Mighty Bear Seventy. "If you want it, you will have to take it from me."  
The guardian suddenly attacked so swiftly that no one could react. Zain screamed in pain as the Mighty Bear Seventy's jaws closed on his outstretched arm, and the baseball bat fell from his fingers. "Zain!" cried Sasha, horrified.  
Then the Mighty Bear Seventy let go, and stood up straight again. "I've always enjoyed the taste of human flesh," he said, licking his lips. "But there will be time enough for that later."  
Zain stared at the massive bite wound in his arm; the pain was agonizing. It was bleeding profusely, but something else was wrong...  
As he looked up at the guardian, Zain's vision became blurry. "Wh... What did you do...?" he demanded, his speech becoming slurred.  
"Don't worry about it," the guardian replied. "You'll be dead within five minutes."  
Zain's eyes widened. "No..." His voice died in his throat, and he collapsed to the ground.  
"ZAIN!" Sasha cried. She knelt down to help him, close to crying. "No! Wake up, Zain!"  
The Mighty Bear Seventy bared his poisonous fangs at her. "You can be next." He prepared to strike again; in her concern for Zain, Sasha didn't even notice him.  
"No!" Guy shouted. He raised his weapon and fired at the guardian.  
The guardian was just about to bite Sasha when a powerful beam smote him in the face. Stunned, he stumbled backwards, his heavy footsteps echoing throughout the cave.  
As the enemy recovered, Guy, Karen, and Kato stepped forward. "Keep Zain alive as long as you can, Sasha," Kato told her. "Once we have dealt with this enemy, we will help him."  
Sasha looked up at him and nodded, tears in her eyes.  
The Mighty Bear Seventy finally recovered and stared down at the three humans who faced him. "You... I'll smash you all!"  
"We will defeat you, guardian!" Kato shouted. He dashed forward with the Sword of Kings and slashed in a wide arc.  
The guardian was knocked backwards by the blow, but as with the other bears that the group had fought, his hide was much too tough to be significantly damaged by Kato's sword. However, Karen followed Kato's attack with her own. "PSI Fire Beta!"  
Before he could recover, the Mighty Bear Seventy was suddenly met with a large burst of flame, which scorched his fur. This attack was followed up by several shots from Guy's gun, harming the guardian even further.  
Burned and shot, the guardian roared in fury. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" he screamed.  
Bolting forward with unnatural speed, the Mighty Bear Seventy slashed with his sharp nails at Karen, Guy, and Kato. Kato stepped forward and blocked the attack with the Sword of Kings, preventing Guy and Karen from being harmed; however, the guardian's attack was so strong that it broke through Kato's defense and slashed him across the chest, ripping through the Cloak of Kings and scoring several deep wounds. Kato grimaced in pain and fell to one knee.  
Before the guardian could finish Kato off, Karen struck. "PSI Thunder Beta!"  
The Mighty Bear Seventy was electrocuted by two bolts of lightning, and he fell to the ground. Scrambling to get back on his feet, he growled furiously. He glared hatefully at his enemies; he badly wanted to cut them to pieces and smash them.  
He was met by Kato's outstretched palm. "PSI Starstorm Alpha!"  
Blasted by Kato's starburst attack, the Mighty Bear Seventy collapsed to the ground, severely wounded. Karen turned to Guy. "Let's finish this," she said, pointing her finger at the guardian.  
"My thoughts exactly," Guy agreed, aiming his gun at the guardian. The two of them attacked simultaneously, and Kato released another Starstorm attack.  
Under the force of Guy and Karen's improvised double beam attack, combined with another of Kato's Starstorm attacks, the guardian of the Tranquil Zone was vanquished.  
With their enemy defeated, Karen and Guy ran over to Sasha. Kato healed the wounds in his chest with his PSI and went over as well, noting with surprise that the rips in his Cloak of Kings were no longer there.  
"Is he okay?" Karen asked.  
Sasha looked up at them, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I can't heal him," she said, sounding frantic. "I keep trying, but it's not working!"  
Kato knelt on one knee and placed a hand on Zain's forehead. "He still lives, but his life force is fading. He will not survive much longer."  
He concentrated and brought forth his healing power. "Healing Beta."  
Nothing happened.  
Seeing the lack of results, Kato looked up and met Sasha's eyes. "This is strong poison," he said solemnly. "I'm afraid it is beyond my ability to heal."  
Sasha's eyes widened. "You mean...?"  
"There is nothing we can do for him," Kato stated. "If Zain were awake, he could probably heal himself, but the poison has taken his awareness. It's over."  
"I won't accept that!" Sasha cried with conviction. "He's my friend! I won't watch him die!" She looked around wildly. "There has to be something we can do! Karen, Guy, can't you do anything?"  
Karen shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Sasha," she said. "My PSI can't heal."  
"I regret that I must tell you that I have no medical knowledge," said Guy, looking down.  
Sasha looked at Zain. He had done so much for her, and if they didn't do something, he was going to die. "There has to be something..."  
Then she remembered Lumina Pillar.  
"We have to get him to the Sanctuary," she said. "Help me carry him!"  
Wondering what she had in mind, the other three did as they were told.

After hastily carrying Zain through the cave, they made it to their destination, emerging from the cave into a small open area in the cliff that was strangely devoid of rain. There was grass everywhere, and a small pool of water was in the center.  
As they entered the Tranquil Zone, they suddenly felt great calmness, as if all of their problems had faded away. Their grip on Zain's body relaxed, and he was slowly lowered to the ground.  
Kato stepped forward in amazement. "I... I know this place," he said. "I feel as if I've been here before."  
As he approached the pool of water, Kato suddenly saw an image in his head. At first he thought it was himself, but as it became clear, Kato realized that the image was of someone else... Someone that he knew well, although Kato had not seen him in three years.  
Emperor Poo stood before Kato; he had appeared in a much younger form, at about age 16. He had been 16 when he had defeated Giygas with the other three heroes.  
_I am proud of you, Kato,_ said the image of Kato's father. _You will make a great emperor someday, and you will return Dalaam to the days of its glory._  
"I will do my best," Kato replied.  
The emperor smiled, and his image faded away. _I am going to give you a new power,_ his voice said. _The power of the Tranquil Zone, the power that shifts and adapts to its surroundings. Prince Kato son of Poo, the power of PSI Form Change is now yours._  
Kato looked up in surprise as he realized that he knew PSI Form Change. It was an ability that would allow him to shapeshift into other forms besides his own.  
Next, Kato, Guy, Karen, Sasha, and Zain were filled with a strange warmth, just like what had happened at Lumina Pillar. All of their wounds faded away, healed by the Sanctuary.  
Zain slowly opened his eyes. "...Wha... Where am I?"  
Hearing his voice, Sasha cried out in happiness and hugged him tightly. "Zain!"  
Guy and Karen turned to them, surprised. "Zain, you're okay!" Karen exclaimed.  
Zain slowly sat up. "The last thing I remember... The Mighty Bear Seventy had... poisoned me..."  
"You're okay now," said Sasha. "The Tranquil Zone healed you."  
Zain's eyes widened. "The Tranquil Zone!" He reached into his backpack and brought out the Sound Stone. Just then, a clear melody rang out in the air.  
It was clearly a continuation of the melody they had heard from Lumina Pillar. It was just as peaceful and happy as the first part, and it made them all feel as if there was no evil in the world, only joy and peace.  
But just as suddenly as it had begun, this part, too, cut off. Then the Sound Stone began to glow with its soft blue light. As they watched, the Sound Stone replayed the melody from Lumina Pillar; only this time, instead of cutting off, it continued, playing the melody of the Tranquil Zone as well. When the second melody was finished, the Sound Stone returned to normal.  
Zain looked at his four friends. "We did it," he said happily. "We have the second part of the Earth's melody."  
"There are six more remaining," Guy reminded him.  
"We'll find them," Karen said with conviction.  
Kato still stood by the pool. He heard the voice of Emperor Poo one last time. _Destiny has an iron grip on him..._ Kato suddenly had a brief glimpse of the future; it was only an instant, but he gained much information from it nonetheless... Information he didn't know how to handle.  
Turning, Kato looked at Zain in a new light. Zain was rejoicing with the others at their accomplishment, not paying attention. "Zain..." Kato said to himself, "I have seen what destiny has in store for you... And it makes me sad."

**_Meanwhile..._**

Mila slowly approached what had once been Home Base, her heart heavy. She wondered if she were going to her death.  
The others, especially Brian, had been against this. They suspected a trick, and they did not like the idea at all. But Mila had finally convinced them that it was the only way to free their friends, and they had finally capitulated.  
All of them except Brian. He had refused to look at her as she left Quincy's house, heading for the West End.  
She wiped a tear from her eye as she thought about him. Mila did not want to remember him that way. He was her friend, almost like a younger brother; it was wrong that her last memory of him was like this. She wished that she could have made up with him before leaving, but he would never have agreed to what she was now doing. Brian was almost exactly like her, except for the fact that he was more stubborn and relentless than Mila could ever be.  
_Brian will make a fine Defender one day,_ Mila thought. But it was her task to make sure that there was a Home Base for Brian to defend. All of the other people that the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang had captured had to be freed... By any means necessary.  
As she approaced the old parking garage that had once been her home, the two Gang Members stationed out in front saw her. "So it's you," one of them sneered. "Dangerous Tom has been waiting for you."  
"I'm here to give myself up," said Mila. "But first, I want you to free everyone else you've captured."  
"Only Dangerous Tom can give that order," said the second Gang Member.  
Mila folded her arms. "Then go and ask him."  
Glaring at her, the Gang Member went into the parking garage. After about five minutes, he came back. "Dangerous Tom has agreed," he said, "but only if you give yourself up first."  
"Does your leader think I'm stupid?" Mila snapped. "Once he has me, he won't have to free the others! He can do whatever he wants!"  
"Dangerous Tom is a man of his word," said the first Gang Member. "If he says he'll let them go, then he'll do it. We've never really liked that about him, but it's the way he is."  
The second Gang Member nodded in agreement. "That's the best deal you're gonna get, girl," he stated. "Take it or leave it."  
Mila was in a quandary. If she agreed to their terms, then it was possible that they wouldn't let the others go. Then again, if she refused, it was a certainty that they wouldn't let the others go anyway.  
"...Okay," she said. "I agree."  
She walked forward, and the Gang Members grabbed her by the arms and dragged her inside. Mila knew that she could easily overpower them, but if she did, it would be very unlikely that they would let the other Defenders go. She swallowed her pride and allowed them to have their way, following along as they roughly dragged her throughout her former home.

What had been done to it was appalling. Garbage lay everywhere, and the once-clean parking garage was filthier than Mila could remember. The place was filled with Gang Members, all engaged in various activities, some of them dueling with each other for fun. Occasionally, she saw one of her fellow Defenders who had been captured; he or she was always surrounded by at least five Gang Members who kept a close eye on their prisoner. As Mila walked past, the captive Defenders hung their heads; the best of them, Mila Aisengarde, was now in the hands of the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang.  
The Gang Members recognized her as well. She had given many of them bruises and broken noses, and they did not forget things like that. They glared hatefully at her, and Mila guessed that the only thing keeping them from attacking her simultaneously was the orders of their leader.  
Finally, they reached the top floor underneath the roof of the parking garage, where a makeshift room had been set up with opaque red shower curtains. The two Gang Members brought Mila in front of it. "We have her, Dangerous Tom," said one of them.  
"Very good," said a deep tenor voice from the other side of the curtains. "Bring her inside."  
The Gang Members took Mila inside the "room," and Mila saw the leader of the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang for the first time.

Mila had always imagined Dangerous Tom as a much worse version of one of the regular Neo-Bla-Bla Gang members, with large muscles and a bad sense of hygiene. In reality, however, he was MUCH different.  
"Dangerous Tom" was a grown man; he couldn't have been less than twenty years old. His short brown hair was slicked back, and his blue eyes were like ice. He dressed in a clean white suit, and appeared to have taken a bath quite recently. Mila sniffed the air, and she realized that he was wearing cologne. He was sitting behind a desk in a comfortable-looking armchair, and he got up as they entered.  
"Mila Aisengarde," said Tom in a greeting manner; his voice was pleasant, as if he were interested in nothing more than being friends. "I finally get to meet the famous Mila Aisengarde, who has defeated more than one hundred of my underlings." His gaze focused on the two Gang Members holding her. "You may leave now."  
"But Dangerous Tom, what about you?" one of them protested. "What if she--"  
"I assure you, I am quite safe, men," Tom replied. "It is you two who are in danger; if she had wanted to, she could have roughed both of you up at any time. The fact that she has not proves that she is a woman of her word, as I am a man of mine. You may go." He paused for a moment. "Oh, and go down and tell the guards to release the others."  
This shocked both of them. "But Dangerous Tom--"  
"I said that they would be freed if Mila Aisengarde gave herself up, and she has given herself up. Therefore, the prisoners must be freed. I see no problem here."  
"...Yes, Dangerous Tom..." they replied, less than enthusiastic. They went out through the curtain and were gone, leaving Mila alone with Tom.  
Mila faced him. "I'm glad to see that you ARE a man of your word."  
Tom bowed to her in a very gentlemanlike manner. "Of course, Miss Aisengarde," he replied.  
"I must say," said Mila, "whenever I envisioned the ruthless leader of the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang, THIS never came to mind."  
"You will find, Miss Aisengarde, that I am not your usual ruthless gang leader," Tom replied.  
"Oh, really?" Mila said sarcastically. "Is that why you heartlessly dumped children out onto the street to starve to death?"  
"I did not wish to do that," Tom responded, "but I had no other choice. You've seen the people I command; if the children had stayed here, those brutes would have begun harming them sooner or later."  
"But why did you have to come here?" Mila demanded angrily. "We never threatened you! All we wanted was to exist in peace here, and you came and destroyed everything we've worked for!"  
"Alas, I do regret the necessity of that action," Tom told her, "but again, I had no other choice."  
He straightened his white tie. "You see, Miss Aisengarde, it is my dream to rule all of Ellay. This city is being abandoned as we speak; three-fourths of it are already abandoned. People and businesses are leaving the South End as well; within the next few years, Ellay will become a dead city." He paused. "Dead except for me, at least."  
Tom folded his hands behind his back. "I will be the leader of Ellay," he said. "I will return this city to its former state of greatness. With my gang, I will build a utopia, a perfect society that will be the envy of every other society in this world!"  
He smiled, and for some reason his smile scared Mila far worse than any regular Gang Member's smile would. "It is unfortunate, but your 'Home Base' was in the way. In order to properly rule Ellay, I can't have other forces here who do not recognize my authority, you see. Now that that has been taken care of, I have only to wait until the South End is abandoned, and then this entire city will be mine."  
"There are people in Ellay who won't accept that," Mila shot back.  
"The Neo-Bla-Bla Gang will change their minds," Tom replied. "In any case, I will soon realize my dream. It is only a matter of time."  
Mila was disgusted by this man; for all of his attempts to look upper-crust, underneath he was no more than a common thug with delusions of grandeur. "What do you want with me, you scum?" she asked. "Why did you want me?"  
"Because I want you on my side, Miss Aisengarde," Tom answered. "You are the best of the best; you fight better than any of my men, and despite your age you are a better mother than most real mothers. I need you to be my strong right hand, Miss Aisengarde. The gang sees me as a paternal figure; they need a maternal figure as well."  
This caused Mila to laugh. "You definitely have the wrong person," she said. "Your gang hates me."  
"They will change," said Tom confidently. "Once you are on my side, they will see the other side of you that they have not seen before. They will come to love you as they love me."  
Tom opened his arms wide. "Join me, Mila," he said, freely using her first name for the first time. "Join me, and I will give you whatever you desire, as long as it is within my power to do so."  
Mila shook her head. For all of his claims of needing a "mother" figure in his gang, Dangerous Tom was a man who had deliberately sent children out in the street to starve. He was a man who would attack other people merely because there were in his way. "I won't," Mila said. "You can forget it. I'll never join you!"  
Tom frowned. "Mila, I implore you to reconsider," he said. "You have no idea what you're giving up. Don't throw it all away without even seeing what it's like."  
"Forget it," Mila repeated. "I don't want anything to do with you. You'll have to find someone else to build your 'utopia' with you; I'm going back to my friends."  
Dangerous Tom shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid I can't allow that, Mila," he said. "You'll have to stay here, until you change your mind. I've set my sights on you, and I'm not going to give up until you are mine."  
He went over to his desk and opened a drawer, taking out a small device with a button on it. "I truly wish it hadn't come to this," he said. "You have no idea how much I hoped that you'd see things my way right from the beginning. Now we'll have to do it the hard way."  
He pressed the button, and a bell-like tone rang out through the parking garage. "My men will take care of you until you're in a better mood to talk," said Tom.  
Surprised, Mila clenched her hands into fists. "I won't let you do that!" she cried. She dashed forward to attack him, to punch him in the face just as she had punched most of his men.  
Calmly, Tom caught her fist in his left hand. Whirling around, he twisted her arm behind her back, and clubbed her over the back with a nightstick that he suddenly held in his right hand. Mila cried out in pain and fell to the floor, and Tom placed his foot on her back, pinning her. "How... How did you...?" she asked.  
"You are a very, very good fighter, Mila Aisengarde," said Dangerous Tom, setting his nightstick on the desk, "but you are not invincible."  
Two Gang Members entered the "room." Seeing what their leader had done, they looked upon Tom with great respect. "You... You actually defeated her!" they cried. "No one's ever been able to beat her!"  
Tom removed his foot from Mila's back. "Take her to the floor directly beneath this one," he ordered. "Have her kept under guard at all times by at least fifteen men. Other than that, you are all to treat her like a queen... For that is what she will be one day."  
Not questioning him, the Gang Members did as they were told. Mila looked up at Tom, wincing from the pain in her back. "You won't get away with this!" she cried.  
"I already have," Tom corrected. "It is only a matter of time until you see things my way. I only hope that it will be soon. Until then, farewell, Miss Aisengarde."  
The Gang Members dragged Mila away.

**_To be continued..._**  



	18. Earthbound 202X Part 18

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 18: The Next Destination**

Kaatz entered the chamber of the master. He was not sure what kind of effect his report would have on Master Giaguo; for the first time, he was afraid of what the master would choose to do. If Master Giaguo was angered enough by what Kaatz had to say, Kaatz surely would not live much longer.  
The reason for Kaatz's uncertainty was that in the entire time he had been in Giaguo's service, Kaatz had never once failed in a mission. This was the first time he had not accomplished his objective; despite the extenuating circumstances that had led him to give up the mission, Kaatz had a feeling that Giaguo was not going to be very happy with him.  
He bowed to the back wall of the chamber. "Master Giaguo, I have returned," he announced.  
As usual, part of the back wall swiveled around to reveal Giaguo's tank. The alien stared at Kaatz expectantly with his piercing black eyes. "And what of your mission, Kaatz?" he asked, his voice assuming an interrogative aura and echoing throughout the chamber. "Is Target Priority One finally mine?"  
Kaatz could not meet Giaguo's gaze. "I... I aborted the mission, Master Giaguo," he replied.  
As Kaatz had expected, the alien's eyes narrowed, and his voice took on an aura of displeasure. "What did you say...?"  
Kaatz closed his left eye. "I aborted the mission."  
The aura of displeasure grew even larger. "Aborted? YOU? I could expect such a thing from Pokey, but from YOU, Kaatz? I hope that you have a good explanation for your actions."  
"I don't know if it's a good explanation or not," Kaatz admitted. "But... There is another in the royal line of Dalaam."  
At this, Giaguo's displeasure was overcome by surprise. "What? But that line was ended! YOU of all people should know that!"  
"It is not ended," Kaatz corrected. "There is another. His name is Kato."  
"Are you certain of this?" asked Giaguo.  
"I am," Kaatz confirmed. "Not only did he wield the equipment of the emperor, but he looks exactly like his father."  
Giaguo thought for a moment. "If this is true, then it was an error to declare the line ended fourteen Earth orbits ago."  
Kaatz folded his arms. "14 years ago, it was not an error, Master Giaguo," he said. "This Kato was a young boy; he could not have been more than 12 or 13 years old. He was born AFTER we... ended the line."  
"Even if this is true," said Giaguo, "we still made an error. When the royal line of Dalaam was destroyed, my people should have made certain that it could not be renewed. Now, this mistake may cost us."  
Kaatz looked down again. "In any case, Master Giaguo, when I encountered him, I was so overcome by shock that if I had stayed there, I would not have been able to function to the best of my ability. If I had stayed, it is possible that Zain might have defeated me."  
At the mention of the chosen leader, Giaguo resumed his expectant stare. "What was Zain like, when you encountered him?" he asked. "Did you fight him?"  
Kaatz nodded. "I did. He is the only one of these 'Chosen Eight' that we need to worry about." He paused for a moment. "Master Giaguo, Zain is an empathic psychic."  
"I already know that," Giaguo replied. "I learned that much from Mister P's report. How did he use this power, in your fight with him?"  
"His use of the empathic PSI is very unfocused," Kaatz answered. "Most of the time, he didn't even seem to understand what he was doing; he simply did it." Kaatz remembered the way Zain had actually caught one of his pseals and thrown it back at him. "And as he became more and more angry, his power became stronger and stronger, until it was almost on a level with my own."  
"I see," Giaguo said. "And what causes him to become angry?"  
Kaatz stared grimly at the alien. "Threats to his companions," he stated. "In particular, he became angriest whenever the welfare of Target Priority One was threatened."  
Giaguo's voice adopted an aura of thoughtfulness. "This will not do..." he said, partly to himself. "I must have Target Priority One, and Zain must be destroyed. If what you say about him is true, then his potential is high enough to be a minor threat to our operations."  
"That is the idea of the 'Chosen Eight' foretold in the 'Apple of Enlightenment,'" Kaatz remarked. "To be a threat to ones such as us."  
"You are correct," Giaguo agreed.  
Suddenly the door to the chamber opened, and a Mook Senior entered, looking worried. "Master Giaguo! Master Giaguo!" it cried, waving its tentacles frantically.  
Kaatz responded, automatically falling into his role as Giaguo's second-in-command. "The master is here," he declared. "Speak your trouble."  
The Mook Senior turned to Giaguo's tank. "Master Giaguo, the weather control device that you ordered us to plant in the Earth town of Troisemburg has stopped functioning!" it exclaimed.  
The master's black eyes widened. "What?"  
"It's true!" cried the Mook Senior. "It stopped working! The precipitation over the Earth town has vanished!"  
Giaguo stared at the tentacled alien. "What caused this?" he demanded, his voice adopting an interrogative aura.  
"We don't know for certain," the Mook Senior answered, "but something seems to be... interfering with the device's transmission."  
Kaatz folded his arms, wondering what had happened to the device. "What sort of interference?" he asked.  
The Mook Senior held out a device in one of its tentacles. "We recorded some of it," it replied. "You can listen to it for yourself."  
Kaatz pressed a button on the device to play back the recording. Amidst a large amount of static, the faint sound of a melody could be heard.  
The effect on Giaguo was astonishing. Upon hearing the melody, he let out a colossal shriek of agony and began thrashing around in his tank.  
Kaatz stared at the alien in surprise. In all the years he had served Giaguo, he had never seen the master like this before.  
He reacted instinctively, crushing the recording device in his metal right hand. The melody stopped, and Giaguo stopped thrashing. The master was clearly still injured, though; his limbs were somewhat curled up around his body, and his eyes were squinting in pain.  
"Master Giaguo, are you okay?" asked Kaatz.  
It was a moment before the master could answer. Finally, he said, "I am not badly injured. It... The sound was not complete."  
"What was that sound, Master Giaguo?" Kaatz inquired. "I have never seen you react in such a way before."  
Giaguo's voice adopted an aura of understanding as he realized what had happened to him. "That is the sound that defeated Giegue," he answered slowly. "When he returned to the homeworld after his failure to conquer this planet, none of us believed his story about a terrible sound that could harm us in such a way... We all thought that he was trying to cover up his failure with a lie."  
Then the alien's eyes narrowed. "But he was telling the truth all along..."  
He looked at the Mook Senior, who had brought him the recording. "You now know too much," he declared, an aura of decisiveness in his voice. "Now we must make certain that you cannot speak of this."  
The Mook Senior became very frightened, realizing what the master was about to do. "B-But Master Giaguo... I won't tell anyone, I promise!"  
"You are correct," Giaguo agreed. "You will not tell anyone."  
Suddenly, Giaguo released a strange energy wave from his "forehead." Kaatz involuntarily flinched; he had never been able to understand the nature of this attack, and as for the person that the master used it on...  
The energy wave struck the Mook Senior, and the unlucky tentacled alien disintegrated, shredded apart on the molecular level.  
If Giaguo had had a mouth, he would have smiled. "That should take care of that," he stated, his voice filled with contentment.  
Kaatz turned to him. "Master Giaguo, was that really necessary?" he asked.  
"Of course it was," Giaguo replied. "The Mooks are a subservient race, living only to serve my people; we conquered them long ago, just as we are conquering Earth now. If the Mooks realize that my race has a weakness, they may attempt to exploit it, in order to gain their freedom."  
"You are right, Master Giaguo," Kaatz agreed, nodding. "I hadn't thought of that."  
Giaguo stared at Kaatz. "This sound is a sizable threat to my kind. If I weren't certain of where YOUR loyalties lie, Kaatz, you would have shared the Mook's fate. I believe that I can trust you with this secret."  
Kaatz nodded. "Of course, Master Giaguo."  
"Very good. Now, about the 'Chosen Eight...'"  
"It's possible that they may have already visited one or more of the Sanctuaries," admitted Kaatz. "Despite the guardians that were placed there."  
"We do not know that for certain," Giaguo countered. "In any case, Zain MUST be destroyed, and Target Priority One must be mine."  
Kaatz had been thinking about something for a while, and he decided to see what the master thought of it. "I have been thinking, Master Giaguo," he said. "What if we did not have to destroy Zain? What if we could somehow... get him to join OUR cause, instead of the one he follows now?"  
Giaguo stared at him. "...Do you even think that it is possible?"  
"I think we could," said Kaatz. "He is still young; young enough that he may yet be shaped."  
The master thought on this. "...An empathic psychic IS quite a rare occurrence," he accepted. "If we could get him to join us, then I would have the leader of Earth's 'Chosen Eight' at my command. Combined with the abilities of Target Priority One, I would become unstoppable even among my own people; I would emerge dominant as the ruler of the universe."  
He nodded his alien head at Kaatz. "You may do what you see fit to get him to join us," he said, his voice sounding pleased.  
Kaatz bowed. "Thank you, Master Giaguo," he said. "First of all, I believe that we should cease our pursuit of them for the time being," he suggested. "With the way that Mister P and I have been chasing them, I do not believe that Zain will be of a mind to... negotiate with us. If we leave them alone for a while, he may become more amenable to what I have to say."  
Giaguo stared at him. "As I said, you may do what you see fit," he replied. "However, you do not have an unlimited amount of time, Kaatz. I want Target Priority One, and because no one has been able to capture her yet, my patience is wearing thin."  
Kaatz smiled. "If all goes well, Master Giaguo, Zain may hand over the girl to you himself."

**_Meanwhile..._**

When they exited the cave that led to the Tranquil Zone, Zain and his friends were met by a most welcome sight.  
It had stopped raining.  
Eyes wide with disbelief, they looked up to the sky through the cover of the trees. The black clouds were still there, but they were beginning to become lighter; it was only a matter of time before they dispersed.  
"I... I thought it was never going to stop raining!" Karen exclaimed.  
Guy looked at her. "All things come to an end," he said. "Even if it does not seem that they will."  
Zain smiled at the brightening sky. "I'm more concerned with beginnings than ends right now," he said. "We have the melody of the Tranquil Zone, and now we'll be beginning a new journey to the next Sanctuary."  
"This is true," Kato agreed. It was the first time he had spoken since they had visited the Tranquil Zone. On the way back through the cave, he had been strangely withdrawn, as if he were thinking hard about something. Zain was glad that he seemed more light-hearted now; whatever had been bothering him before, Kato seemed to have gotten over it now.  
Karen smiled. "Now that we've visited the Tranquil Zone, we're one step closer to finding Neil," she said happily. Guy nodded in agreement.  
Sasha looked at Kato. "Um, Kato," she said, "since the Tranquil Zone is your Sanctuary, did it give you any... powers? Lumina Pillar gave me a new ability, although I haven't really had a chance to use it yet."  
Kato nodded. "The Tranquil Zone did grant me a new ability," he confirmed.  
"Really?" asked Zain. "What ability?"  
"Watch." Kato crossed his arms and concentrated. "PSI Form Change!"  
The others watched as Kato was enveloped in white light. His shape grew taller, until he reached Zain's height.  
When the light faded from his body, everyone gasped in surprise. Kato had transformed into an exact copy of Zain, from his green eyes and blond hair down to his clothing. The only difference was that the goggles around Kato's head were whole, while Zain's lenses were broken.  
The transformed Kato smiled. "Impressive, isn't it?" he asked; his voice sounded exactly like Zain's.  
Sasha smiled. "That's a really neat ability, Kato," she said.  
Guy nodded in agreement. "If you ever were required to disguise yourself, you could do it with ease."  
Zain scratched his head, frowning. "I think it's kind of creepy," he remarked. "It's like looking into a mirror."  
Karen thought of something. "Kato... Since you turned into Zain, do you also have his powers now? It would be really neat if we had two people who could use Zain's Hyperion attack."  
"I will try," Kato said. He turned away from the others, facing an empty part of the forest. Thrusting his hand outward as Zain did, he shouted, "PSI Hyperion Alpha!"  
Nothing happened.  
Kato turned back to the others. "It seems that I while I can emulate others physically, I cannot emulate their abilities. I suppose that, whichever form I take, I still possess my own abilities."  
"That's too bad," said Karen.  
"Not really," Zain countered. "Didn't you see Kato's Starstorm attack? It was just as strong, if not stronger, than Hyperion."  
"Oh," said Karen. "I forgot about that."  
"Yes, the Starstorm is quite a potent ability," Kato agreed. "My father mastered its ways during the war against Giygas. He taught me how to use it, but I have not mastered it yet."  
Then Kato got an idea. "I am going to try something," he said. Crossing his arms again, he concentrated once more. "PSI Form Change!"  
Kato, still looking like Zain, was enveloped in white light again, and his shape grew even taller. When the light faded this time, Kato looked exactly like...  
"Kaatz!" cried Zain. Everyone stepped back in surprise.  
Indeed, Kato had transformed into Kaatz. He looked exactly like the enemy that they had fought in the hotel, wearing a flowing black trenchcoat. However, there was a very noticeable difference...  
Karen blinked. "You... You don't have any of those robot parts," she said, surprised.  
Kato looked at his right hand; unlike the real Kaatz's right hand, Kato's was still the original hand, made of flesh. In addition, his face was whole, with two human eyes.  
"This is what I wanted to test," Kato explained in Kaatz's voice. "I wanted to see whether or not PSI Form Change would emulate artificial body parts, such as the ones that the real Kaatz has. Apparently, it does not."  
He sighed. "It's too bad," he said. "Since I cannot emulate others' abilities, I suppose I cannot use any of Kaatz's pseal powers in this form."  
Zain noticed something. "You know, Kato," he said, "now that I see Kaatz without those artificial parts... He kind of looks like you. I mean, he kind of looks like your regular form."  
Kato's, or rather "Kaatz's," eyes widened. "What?"  
"You're right, Zain!" Karen agreed, surprised. "They DO look a lot alike, except for the age!"  
Kato shook his head. "I do not understand," he said. "There is no reason why I would look like him."  
He concentrated. "Revert!"  
Becoming enveloped in white light yet again, Kato shrank back to his original size, and resumed his normal form.  
Guy nodded. "Yes, there is definitely a similarity."  
Kato shrugged. "It must simply be a coincidence," he stated.

By the time they returned to the northern outskirts of Troisemburg, the sky had become even brighter; the dark clouds would soon be all gone.  
"I'm really glad it stopped raining," said Sasha, smiling. "Things almost seem more hopeful now."  
Zain nodded. "They do, don't they?"  
"Perhaps you should call Mr. Maybee, as he suggested earlier," Guy offered.  
"Oh, yeah," replied Zain. "I almost forgot about that."  
He got out the phone number that Sasha's father had given him, and then rummaged through his backpack, digging out the Receiver Phone. "I'll call right now," he said.  
Zain dialed the number on the Receiver Phone, and then waited for someone to pick up on the other end. After about three rings, Zain heard a click as someone picked up. "Hello, Samuel Maybee speaking for Orange Enterprises."  
"Mr. Maybee!" said Zain. "It's me, Zain!"  
"Hi, Zain," said Sasha's father. "Did you visit the Sanctuary?"  
"Yeah," Zain replied. "We have its power now."  
"That's wonderful news. Is Sasha okay?"  
Zain nodded on a reflex, forgetting that Samuel couldn't see him. "She's fine, sir. She saved my life at the Tranquil Zone." Overhearing him, Sasha smiled at him.  
Samuel paused for a moment. "She did? I guess when you said it wasn't one-way, you really meant it."  
"I meant it," Zain confirmed. "Did you find out anything about the next Sanctuary?"  
"I may have found something," Samuel replied. "I had forgotten about it before, but when I reviewed my files, I remembered. There's another location that has been called a 'sanctuary' against evil, although there isn't as much information about it as there was about the Tranquil Zone."  
"You found another one?" said Zain. "That's great, Mr. Maybee!"  
"There's just one thing, Zain," Samuel continued. "It's in Quattro City."  
Zain's eyes widened in surprise. "Quattro City?"  
"Quattro City?" Guy repeated, overhearing him. "Quattro City is quite far from Troisemburg."  
"I guess we have a long way to walk, then," said Zain with a sigh. "Since the bus service is cancelled."  
"No, Zain," said Sasha's father. "You won't be able to reach Quattro City by land. You'd have to take the road through the Northern Wetlands, and with that huge rainstorm we've had, the road will be flooded over. Even if you COULD walk the distance, it would take you days to reach Quattro City on foot."  
Zain scratched his head with the hand that wasn't holding the phone. "So how do we get there, then?" he asked.  
Samuel already had a plan. "Go to Hawkland International Airport," he instructed. "Once you get there, go to the ticket seller. You'll find that five tickets, one for each of you, have already been purchased for the next available flight to Nordfour International Airport in Quattro City. When you get to Nordfour, call me again and I'll give you more information."  
Although he was surprised by the lengths that Sasha's father was going to in order to help them, Zain accepted his help gratefully. "We'll do that, then," he said. "Thank you for all your help, Mr. Maybee."  
"You're welcome, Zain," said Samuel. "Think nothing of it. You have a destiny to fulfill, and besides, you've done so much for Sasha that I'll never be able to fully repay you. Can I talk to her before you hang up?"  
"Of course," said Zain. He handed the Receiver Phone to Sasha and walked over to his other companions, giving Sasha some privacy.  
"So what are we doing?" asked Karen.  
"Sasha's dad thinks he might have found another Sanctuary," explained Zain.  
"And it is in Quattro City," Guy added.  
Zain nodded. "That's right."  
"How will we get there?" asked Guy. "Surely the roads through the wetlands have been flooded by all of the rain."  
Just then, Sasha finished talking to her father and rejoined the group. She handed the Receiver Phone to Zain, who put it away. "What are we going to do?" she asked.  
Kato folded his arms inside his cloak. "Apparently, we are going to Quattro City."  
"Quattro City?" Sasha repeated. "Where's that?"  
"It's a long ways northeast of here, across the Northern Wetlands," Karen explained. "It's huge; it's a lot bigger than Troisemburg. Quattro City is the closest thing there is to a metropolis in the northern Hawkland region."  
Sasha smiled. "It sounds a lot like Shean."  
Guy raised an eyebrow. "Shean?"  
"It's a huge city in Falconland," Sasha described. "It's about a few hours away from Greyhamel, my home town."  
Zain grinned. "Maybe I can visit there someday."  
"That may be even sooner than you think, Zain," Guy supposed. "After all, one of the Sanctuaries may be in Falconland."  
Karen sighed. "That would be great," she said sarcastically. "I'd probably go crazy from everyone calling ketchup catsup."  
"Pardon my forwardness," said Kato suddenly, "but were we not talking about Quattro City? How are we going to get there?"  
"Well," answered Zain, "we have to go to the airport."

**_To be continued..._**  



	19. Earthbound 202X Part 19

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 19: Hawkland International Airport**

Hawkland International Airport was a large, bustling place. People milled about, heading for their flights or arriving off of them. Shops lined the walls, making the place look a lot like a shopping mall.  
Zain looked up as they walked under a large skylight in the ceiling. By now, any trace of the forbidding black clouds that had covered Troisemburg until recently was gone, leaving a clear blue sky. Zain still didn't understand why the rain had suddenly stopped the way it had, right after they had acquired the second part of the melody; he suspected that the Tranquil Zone had something to do with it, but he couldn't be sure. It didn't matter, anyway. All that mattered was the warm, welcoming sunlight shining down on him, and that clear blue sky...  
His mouth curved upward in a smile. _That blue sky reminds me of Sasha's eyes..._  
Zain's attention plummeted back to earth as he walked right into Guy, who had stopped in front of him. He blinked and shook his head, clearing away the reverie.  
Guy turned around. "Are you well, Zain?" he asked. "You should pay more attention to where you are going."  
Zain threw Guy a lopsided grin. "Sorry, Guy," he said. "I wasn't looking where I was going." He pointed up at the skylight. "The sky looks so beautiful now that those clouds are gone."  
Guy looked up, adjusting his glasses. "I agree," he replied. "It is quite a sight, especially when you have not seen it for some time. It is also reassuring that we may now travel outdoors without being saturated by rainwater."  
Zain nodded, and paused a moment, looking up as well. The warm sunlight reminded him of the morning after that fateful night when he had learned of his destiny, the morning on which he had set out on his journey. "You know, this is the 6th day since I set out on this quest," he said, partially to himself. "It's getting later in the afternoon now, so pretty soon it'll be the 7th day." He looked at Guy. "In less than a week, I've made four good friends."  
Guy smiled and was about to reply when Kato stepped up to them, looking uneasy. "Zain," he said, "Sasha and Karen have run off to browse the shops."  
Upon hearing this, Zain almost laughed. Here they were trying to save the world from an alien menace, and two of the Chosen Eight had decided to go shopping.  
"I do not agree with their timing," Guy commented.  
Zain shrugged. "I guess even aspiring heroes have to have a little fun now and then," he admitted. He adjusted his broken goggles. "We might as well make the most of it, you two. Come on, why don't us guys go get something to eat?"

Later on, the three of them were sitting at a table in the airport's food court, and Zain and Guy were enjoying a meal of hamburgers and pizza.  
"Airport burgers are pretty good," Zain declared, polishing one off.  
"And the quality of the pizza is commendable," Guy added, taking another slice.  
Zain looked over at Kato, who simply sat there saying nothing. "Come on, Kato, you haven't had anything yet. We bought enough for three, eat some!"  
Uneasily, Kato reached over and picked up a hamburger. "I will try one," he said.  
Slowly, he lifted the burger to his mouth and took a bite. Abruptly, his face contorted into a grimace of disgust. "It tastes vile!"  
"How can you say that?" Zain demanded. "Burgers are the best food there is!"  
"I am accustomed to eating a bowl of rice gruel every morning," Kato replied. "I don't normally consume meat."  
"It is no wonder," Guy remarked. "You have lived in the East all your life. It is natural that Western food would not agree with you."  
Kato nodded in agreement. "This is true. However, I haven't had much to eat lately, and I would wager that rice gruel is not a common food item in Hawkland. I cannot be picky about what I eat; though I won't enjoy it, I'll eat this." He took another bite.  
"I hope it doesn't make you sick," said Zain, starting to be concerned.  
Just then, Sasha and Karen came up to them. "There you three are," said Karen. "We've been looking for you for a while. Why did you have to run off to the food court like that?"  
Guy put down his slice of pizza. "You should have thought of that before the two of YOU 'ran off' to the stores. We merely gave you time to browse."  
Sasha hung her head slightly. "I'm sorry we ran off," she apologized. "It's just that this place is so big, and there are so many stores. Last time I was here, I didn't really get to look around, and Karen's never been shopping before."  
Zain smiled at her. "Don't worry about it," he assured her. "Here, why don't you and Karen have some of this food before we go get our tickets? I don't think Kato's going to eat all of his part."  
"You're right," Kato agreed, looking a little pale. "I'm not." He forced another bite of hamburger.

After the meal, the five of them finally went to the ticket booth. "Hi," said Zain to the ticket seller. "I'm Zain Maximillian. I was told that tickets would be ready for us."  
The ticket seller nodded. "Yes, 5 tickets have already been purchased for you and your party," she said, handing them to Zain. "The next flight to Nordfour International Airport leaves at 7:00 PM."  
Zain accepted the tickets. "Thank you."  
He turned and distributed the tickets to his friends. "Thanks to Sasha's dad, we'll be in Quattro City in no time," he said, feeling in high spirits.  
"The flight will leave at 7:00 PM," said Guy, repeating what the ticket seller had told them. "It is 5:12 at the present."  
Karen folded her arms. "So we have to wait for at least an hour and a half."  
"It looks that way," said Zain. "You and Sasha can go look at the stores some more, if you want. We'll all meet up at the gate at 6:45."  
Karen nodded, her black eyes lighting up. "Yeah, I'll go and do that. See you later!" She turned and walked away, heading back for the stores.  
Zain turned to Sasha. "Are you going too, Sasha?"  
Sasha shook her head. "Not this time, I already looked at everything I wanted to before." She paused a moment. "Can I borrow your Receiver Phone? I haven't talked to my mother since I came to Hawkland, and I'd like to call her."  
"Sure, of course you can have it." Zain got the phone out and handed it to her.  
"Thank you, Zain," said Sasha, smiling at him. "I won't take long."  
"Take as long as you need," replied Zain. "It doesn't cost anything to make calls with the Receiver Phone."  
Sasha nodded and walked a short distance away for privacy. Guy put his hand on his chin, thinking. "I wonder how that telephone accomplishes that?"  
Zain and Kato turned to him. "What?"  
"That mobile telephone can make calls without costing money," Guy mused. "I wonder how it accomplishes that? Perhaps it broadcasts pirate signals, or hacks into cellular phone networks."  
"I don't know how it does that," said Zain. "I don't think the Receiver Phone was originally built to MAKE calls. If you look at the keypad and display screen, it's easy to see that they were added in later."  
Kato shrugged. "Guy's suggestions do not sound very... legal," he said. "Maybe we are better off not knowing how that phone works."  
"I will change the subject, then," said Guy. "I have formulated a theory as to why the rain ceased, after we visited the Tranquil Zone. Would either of you be interested in hearing it?"  
"Sure," said Zain. "I've been wondering about that."  
"Well," explained Guy, "it was easy to see that the rain over Troisemburg was not a normal occurrence. With all of the strange happenings in the world lately, I would wager that the one known as 'Giaguo' was somehow responsible for it. I also theorize that somehow gaining the melody of the Tranquil Zone somehow broke the aliens' hold over Troisemburg, and that they have lost their ability to control the weather."  
"There is no evidence of that," remarked Kato, "but it IS a compelling theory. It WOULD explain some things."  
"Yeah," Zain agreed. "Maybe the Tranquil Zone made the surrounding area tranquil and peaceful." He looked up through the skylight again. "It sure LOOKS peaceful."  
Just then, Sasha came back to them. She returned the phone to Zain. "Thank you, Zain," she said gratefully. "Mom was glad to hear from me."  
"It's no problem," Zain assured her. "You can borrow the phone whenever you want." He turned to Guy and Kato. "So, what shall we do until 6:45?"  
Guy reached inside his pocket, gripping his Equalizer gun. "I have to disassemble all of my weapon projects, to make them look innocuous so that I may take them on the airplane," he said. "I will go and find a place to do this; I will meet up with you at the gate, at 6:45."  
Zain nodded. "See you later, Guy." Guy nodded back and walked away.  
After he had gone, Zain turned back and looked at Sasha and Kato. "Looks like it's just the three of us now," he said. "Why don't we go back to the food court and get some more hamburgers?"  
"MORE hamburgers?" Kato repeated incredulously. "You just ate four of those vile things not even fifteen minutes ago! Not to mention that terrible pizza!"  
Zain shrugged. "What can I say? I eat a lot."  
Kato's eyes narrowed. "Apparently."  
"Besides," Zain continued, "I want to buy some for traveling food, when we're out in the middle of the forest again, or someplace like that."  
"I suppose that is a good idea," Kato allowed.  
Zain smiled. "So come on, let's get over there before we run out of time. I can't wait to bite into another juicy burger, with some cheese, ketchup, and mustard... Oh, and mayo, too."  
Kato clutched his stomach. "Zain, could you stop talking about--"  
Zain wasn't paying attention; he was too busy envisioning his perfect hamburger. "I could eat a truckload of those. Especially the ones from the restaurants in this airport. The hamburger patties in this place are 100 beef."  
That did it. Kato covered his mouth with both of his hands and ran away, retching.  
Sasha watched him leave. "Is there something wrong with him?" she asked.  
Zain turned, jarred from his reverie. "Oh... Oops." He looked at Sasha. "Kato doesn't like Western food. I guess I was a bit too descriptive for his tastes." He looked down sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Sasha. I guess my appetite gets a little out of hand sometimes."  
Sasha laughed. "I don't mind, Zain. I think your appetite is funny."  
He looked up at her and smiled. "I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted by that."  
She laughed again. "Well, in any case, all your talk about hamburgers made me hungry," she said. "Let's go and get some."  
Zain's green eyes lit up. "That's a fantastic idea," he agreed.  
They turned and started walking toward the food court. "And while we eat," said Sasha, "I'll tell you about how my brother Shiloh froze our swimming pool yesterday, trapping my sister Shyla inside. I just heard about it on the phone; Mom grounded him for a month."

Finally 6:45 PM came around, and they regrouped. Zain and Sasha arrived at the gate carrying bags of hamburgers. Guy returned as well, having disassembled his weapons to the point where their components appeared to be no more than miscellaneous junk. Karen came back, having perused every store in the airport. Finally, Kato showed up, showing no sign of having been sick earlier.  
Their timing couldn't have been better; as they all arrived, a voice sounded over the intercom. "Flight 235, bound for Nordfour International Airport, is now boarding."  
"That's our flight," said Zain. "Let's get on it." The others nodded in agreement.  
At the metal detectors, they removed all of their metal objects and passed them through the x-ray. Guy had done a good job of taking his weapons apart; no one even suspected what they really were.  
Kato stepped through the metal detector, and alarms blared out instantly. A security guard came up and stopped him. "Please remove all metal objects you are wearing or carrying," he ordered.  
Eyes narrowing, Kato held up his arm. "I am the Crown Prince of Dalaam," he said. "These items, the Bracer of Kings and the Diadem of Kings, were worn by Emperor Poo himself. The only way that you will get me to part with them is by killing me."  
"You mean, Poo as in one of the four who defeated Giygas...?" Flustered, the security guard stepped aside. "M-Move along."  
Kato folded his arms and rejoined the group, looking satisfied. They continued toward the gate.  
As they walked, Zain leaned over and whispered in Kato's ear. "You know, if they had found out that you're carrying a sword under your cloak, you probably wouldn't have gotten through, Crown Prince or not."  
Kato smiled. "Then it is good that they did not figure it out," he remarked. "The Sword of Kings was entrusted to me by my master in Dalaam. I will not be parted from it under any circumstances."  
Just then, they reached the gate, along with all of the other people who were traveling to Quattro City. There were windows there, and Zain looked outside. He saw the airplane they would be flying in; it was a smaller one than most, since they weren't going across the ocean.  
As Zain looked at the airplane, he suddenly felt overcome by a great dread. _Dad died in one of these..._  
Without thinking, Zain reached up and grasped the broken goggles around his head, the only remaining part of Lawrence Maximillian.  
Sasha saw him. "Zain, is everything okay?" she asked.  
Zain forced a smile. "Yeah, everything's fine," he replied.  
But as they entered the tube that led to the airplane, Zain knew that everything was NOT fine. He was afraid.

**_Meanwhile..._**

Jeff put down his blowtorch. "It's finally finished," he declared.  
With the help of Kyla and her father, the Sky Runner was now in perfect working order.  
Jeff turned to his two colleagues and laughed. "You know, I've been trying to rebuild this for the last 30 years, and we just completed it in two days."  
Kyla smiled and put away her tools. "When we were rebuilding it, I found a problem in the landing sequence," she pointed out. "I did some calculations, and I figured out that because of the error, the Sky Runner would crash instead of land properly about nine times out of ten." She paused for a moment. "I fixed the error, so there won't be any problems from now on."  
Taken aback, Jeff and Apple Man looked at each other. They still recalled the times when the Sky Runner had crashed when they had used it 30 years ago, and Jeff remembered those times firsthand. "That's really something, Kyla," said Jeff, extremely impressed. "My own father was never able to fix that error, and he's the one who built the thing!"  
Kyla stared at them blankly. "You mean you already knew about the error?" she asked.  
Jeff nodded. "I 'experienced' that error," he said. "Twice."  
At Kyla's shocked expression, Apple Man explained further. "Jeff used the Sky Runner to travel from here to Threed in Eagleland, in order to save Ness and Paula, who had been captured by zombies," he said. "When he arrived in Threed and tried to land, the Sky Runner crashed into a graveyard instead."  
Jeff grinned. "Later on, we went back to Threed, and I managed to fix it," he said. "We used it to come back here, and my father made some repairs on it so that we could use it to go to Summers. He also THOUGHT that he fixed the crash error, but when we got to Summers, the Sky Runner fell to the beach and exploded."  
Apple Man mirrored Jeff's grin, swelling with pride for his daughter. "Kyla, you're a genius," he praised.  
Kyla's leaf-green eyes looked away, and she blushed slightly. "It... It wasn't that much," she said modestly.  
Jeff shook his head. "Don't say that," he admonished. "You should be proud of your accomplishments."  
Just then, footsteps came from the stairwell that led to the lab's small second floor. The three turned to face the newcomer.

Deckard Petersen had been staying there for the past two days. It had been a hard journey to reach the lab, and he had had to fight his way past Madness creatures more than a few times, but he had eventually made it.  
He had finally found the legendary Dr. Andonuts, one of the four heroes who had defeated Giygas. After Deckard had explained the situation to Jeff, the scientist had agreed to help him. However, due to the current state of the lab, Jeff was not able to help much yet.  
Jeff wasn't certain if he could find where Lexa had been taken, but he had promised to try. First, however, the scanning equipment had to be repaired, so that they could try to locate her.  
So for the past two days, Deckard had stayed at the lab, training upstairs, waiting for Jeff, Apple Man, and Kyla to fix the lab's scanning equipment. Although he was concerned for Lexa's welfare, Deckard had learned patience long ago, and if Jeff could help him, then he could afford to wait.

"Good evening, Dr. Andonuts," said Deckard. "I see you finished that flying vehicle."  
"Yes, it's finished," Jeff replied. "We'll be starting on the scanning equipment next. Once that's done, we'll try and search for your friend."  
"I'm glad," said Deckard, his spirits lifting a bit. "Thank you for helping me, Dr. Andonuts; I really appreciate it."  
Jeff smiled. "It's no trouble, Deckard. I understand what you must be going through. 30 years ago, my father and my best friend Tony were abducted by Giygas' minions." He gestured at Apple Man. "So was Kyla's father."  
Apple Man looked away. "Jeff, I don't like to remember that time," he said uneasily. "It's too painful."  
Jeff winced. "Oh, sorry, Apple Man," he apologized. "I forgot about that." He turned back to Deckard. "My point, Deckard, is that we've all been separated from people we care about. I promise that I'll do everything in my power to help you find Lexa."  
"So will I," Apple Man added.  
"I will, too," said Kyla. "It might not be under the same circumstances, but I was also separated from someone I care about." She thought of Guy, and looked at the floor. "It hurts..."  
The room was silent for a moment, and then Apple Man spoke again. "Jeff, once we repair the scanning equipment, we might also be able to find some of the Sanctuaries for Zain."  
Jeff looked at him. "That's true," he agreed. "My father's scanning equipment was--IS--very sophisticated. Once we get it working again, it should be a great help."  
His voice trailed off, and he looked over at the telephone, where it sat on a table. "I haven't heard from Zain in a while," he said. "He's never called here."  
"Why don't you call him, like you did that one time?" asked Kyla.  
"I've thought about it several times," Jeff admitted. "But I don't want to seem like I'm sticking my nose in his affairs. This is his mission, his destiny... Him and the rest of the Chosen Eight, whoever the others may be. My mission ended 30 years ago; my destiny was fulfilled."  
He adjusted his glasses, feeling uneasy. "Back when I set Zain on his path, I had planned on joining him... On fighting for our world once again, like I did 30 years ago. But when we encountered that Starman Junior X... I was barely able to harm it at all, while Zain tore it to shreds. And not only was the Starman Junior X after ME, making me a liability to Zain; I also realized that I don't belong with Zain, that I'd only hold him back. This isn't my time anymore."  
"Maybe not," said Apple Man. "Maybe you're not meant to fight alongside them. But we have to do everything we can to help them. We have to make sure that the events foretold in the Apple of Enlightenment come to pass."  
Jeff slowly nodded. "You're right," he agreed. He looked at the phone again. "I'll give Zain a call tomorrow," he decided. "In the meantime, let's get started on that scanning equipment."

**_To be continued..._**  



	20. Earthbound 202X Part 20

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 20: Quattro City**

The airplane took off, heading for Quattro City.  
After the plane reached its normal cruising altitude, the seat belt light was turned off, and people began to move around.  
Zain didn't notice any of it. He sat in his seat, trying to focus, trying to ignore the immense fear that threatened to overwhelm him. He couldn't help but wonder, _What if something happens? What if the plane crashes? What will we do?_  
From where she sat next to him, Sasha noticed what was happening to him. "Zain, what's wrong?" she asked.  
"I'm okay," Zain replied. "I'm fine, don't worry about me."  
Sasha frowned. "You're not a very good liar, Zain," she said. "Anyone can see that there's something wrong with you. You haven't said anything since we got on the plane, and you've been staring straight ahead the whole time. Besides, your hand is shaking." She smiled and placed her hand over his. "I'm your friend, Zain. Please tell me what's the matter."  
Zain turned to her. "I... I'm afraid," he answered. "Dad was flying a plane like this when he died."  
Sasha blinked. "Oh, I understand. You're afraid of flying."  
Zain nodded. "I can't help it," he said. "What if something happens to the plane, and it crashes?"  
"Zain, that's not very likely," Sasha assured him. "It happens sometimes, but it's a rare thing. The chances of that happening are very small."  
Zain nodded. "I know... But what if something DOES happen?" He glanced around wildly. "Or even, what if the plane is attacked by the aliens? What if Kaatz or Mister P show up and come after us again? We can't fight them on the plane and risk damaging it. There's so much that can happen, and we're so high up..." His breathing started to become faster.  
Sasha held a finger to her lips. "Zain, your voice is getting louder. Please try to calm down."  
"I can't," said Zain, fighting to lower his voice. "If the plane falls..."  
He covered his face with his hand. "Some leader I am," he said, berating himself. "I can fight Madness creatures, but I'm terrified of flying."  
"Don't be so hard on yourself," said Sasha. "Everyone gets afraid sometimes. It's nothing to be ashamed of." She placed her hand over her heart and looked away. "I'm afraid, too. I'm afraid that Giaguo, the dark one, will take me, like he did in my dreams. I'm terrified of that happening..."  
Then she turned back and met Zain's gaze. "I'm not ashamed to tell you that," she said. "Do you think Karen's ashamed to let us know that she's afraid for Neil?"  
Zain sighed. "You're right, Sasha. Fear is nothing to be ashamed about. If we didn't feel fear, we wouldn't be human, would we?"  
She smiled. "I guess not."  
Zain returned the smile. "...I'm still terrified, though." Their conversation had made him forget his fear for a while, but it was beginning to come back, even worse.  
"Well, maybe we can do something about that," said Sasha. She pointed out the window, to the west. The sun was setting; soon it would be night. "Let's think about something other than flying. Look at those clouds out there... Aren't they pretty?"  
Zain looked. "Yeah," he agreed. "Especially the way the light from the sunset is hitting them. They look as fluffy as a pillow."  
"See?" said Sasha. "All we have to do is think about something else." She leaned back in her seat. "What's your brother like, Zain?"  
Zain looked at her. She was right; now that he was focusing on something else, the fear was growing distant. "Selrey? Well, he's certainly nothing like YOUR brother..."  
They both laughed.

"Look at that!" cried Karen.  
Guy looked. The plane was approaching a vast web of bright lights spread out on the ground below. "We are nearing Quattro City," he said.  
Karen stared at the bright lights. "I've never been in a huge city before," she said. "But then, I've never flown in an airplane before, either."  
"There IS a first time for everything," remarked Guy, grinning.  
She looked back at him. "A big city like this is bound to have all kinds of stores," she said. "There must be so many possibilities there!"  
From where he was sitting in front of them, Kato turned around, folding his arms. "These large Western cities are too crowded," he stated. "They are crowded, polluted, and noisy. It will be impossible for me to meditate."  
The plane began to lower its altitude. "We will be landing soon," said Guy.  
He stared down at the city below them. "In Quattro City, I will be able to complete some of my weapons," he said. "I will be able to arm myself with more than just my Equalizer."  
Karen smiled. "That's great, Guy! I'm planning on practicing my PSI, and making it stronger. The next time we run into Mister P, we're going to have a few surprises for him."  
Guy nodded. "Precisely."

Soon enough, the airplane landed at Nordfour International Airport, and the group disembarked. After exiting the airport, they took a bus to the inner city. It was now nearing 11:00 PM.  
Despite the late hour, Quattro City was still filled with bright lights and lots of noise. Tall buildings surrounded them on all sides. Everyone except Kato looked around in awe, as none of them were used to being in a large city. Kato shook his head in disgust, feeling homesick for the quiet mountains of Dalaam.  
"Well, it's getting late," said Zain. "We should stay in a hotel for tonight, and then we can call Sasha's dad again tomorrow."  
"That sounds like a good idea," agreed Karen, yawning. "I'm dead tired."  
"I am tired as well," said Guy. "After all, we have had a long day." It was true; they had fought against Kaatz AND visited the Tranquil Zone that same day. "Also, I require a place to rebuild my weapons."  
"It's settled then," said Zain with a nod. "We'll rest for tonight, and then tomorrow we'll decide what to do next."

They found a hotel, rented rooms for the night, and split up to sleep.  
Zain opened the door to his room and entered it. The hotel room looked more antiquated than he had expected; the chair, table, and bed were all of an old-fashioned design.  
He felt dead tired, as Karen had put it. They had indeed had a long day, longer than most of the days he had seen while on this quest. _From now on,_ he decided, _we'll try not to do so much in only one day. We can't keep up a pace like this._  
Zain reached up and untied his goggles, and set them on the table. The twin broken lenses stared back at him, seeming almost sad. Zain sighed and lay down on the bed.  
He remembered what Jeff had said on that night last week: "This meteor marks you as the leader of the Chosen Eight." Zain was starting to wonder if he could really measure up to this destiny. He had lost to Kaatz, and he had been no help at all at the Tranquil Zone. Even with his "empathic PSI," as Kaatz had called it, he had been useless in that battle, incapacitated in a single blow.  
"What am I going to do...?" he asked himself.

In her room, Karen was having the same problem. Where Zain had fallen to Kaatz after a more close battle, Karen had been beaten by Kaatz with ease. What frustrated her the most was that the entire time, Kaatz had been toying with her, making her believe that she had had a fighting chance. _Am I really that... weak?_ she wondered. _I've been practicing with my PSI all my life, and it all amounts to nothing..._  
Then there was Mister P. Karen hadn't even had a chance to fight against him; she had easily succumbed to his paralysis beam. And then he had taken Neil away from her.  
Even though she had helped defeat the Mighty Bear Seventy at the Tranquil Zone, she had not been able to do it by herself. It had taken the combined strength of her, Guy, and Kato to do it. By herself, Karen felt next to useless.  
Karen looked at herself in the mirror. She was starting to wonder if she could even make a difference in this struggle against the aliens. Even if she managed to find Neil, which was seeming more and more unlikely every day, would she even be able to free him? Or would she ultimately join Neil as a prisoner of the aliens? Or even, would Mister P end up killing her, as he clearly wanted to do?  
She wished she had Zain's ability. His psychic power stemmed from the force of his emotions; if only Karen had that power, then she wouldn't have to worry about Mister P OR Kaatz anymore. If she had that power, then as angry as she was at Mister P, she could probably vaporize him. But she did not have that power, so there was only one thing to do: try to improve her own abilities.  
She thought about her telepathy, which she hadn't been able to use ever since they had learned that the enemy was tracing it. _Will I ever be able to use that power again?_ she wondered. Now that she had discovered her abilities as a telepath, to not use that power was starting to make it seem as if something was missing from her consciousness.  
And then there was the perennial question: who were her parents? To this, she had no more of an answer than she did before.  
Karen sighed. "What am I going to do...?" she asked herself.

Zain woke up the next day, and looked at the clock. Unlike almost all clocks in the year 202X, which were digital, this one was an old-fashioned face clock. It read half past eleven.  
"Shoot, I overslept," he mumbled. Getting out of bed, he stretched and rubbed his eyes. _I hope they haven't been waiting for me long,_ he thought.  
He reached down to take his goggles, noting that the lenses were repaired and good as new. He started to tie them around his head again--  
"Wait a minute..." He took them off and looked at them again. It was true. The lenses were no longer broken; they weren't even scratched.  
Zain rubbed his eyes again, certain that he was seeing things, and took another look. The lenses still stared back at him, whole and unbroken.  
"This doesn't make any sense..." He spent the next few minutes scrutinizing them. They WERE his goggles, the same pair; his father's initials, LM, were still scribbled on the inside in permanent marker.  
Finally, Zain decided to worry about what had happened later; the others had to be waiting on him. He tied the goggles around his head as usual and exited the room.

When he went down to the lobby, Zain found that he was not the last to arrive. "Karen has not come down yet," explained Guy. "It is possible that she may have slept in late."  
Zain got out the Receiver Phone. "Well, while we wait for her, I'll call Sasha's dad again, like he asked."  
He dialed the number, and was soon speaking with Samuel. After the usual greeting, and Samuel's questions about his daughter's safety, he explained what he knew. "This next place has been called a 'sanctuary' against evil," Samuel explained. "I've heard several different names for it, but the one I've heard the most is 'Lode Spire.'"  
"Where is it?" asked Zain.  
"That's the problem," Sasha's father answered. "I don't know for sure. It's somewhere in the western part of Quattro City, but I've never been able to find it; no one knows its exact location. The only thing I know for sure is that Lode Spire is somewhere in western Quattro City, and that the people I've questioned spoke about it just like the people in Troisemburg spoke about the Tranquil Zone."  
"Okay then," said Zain. "We'll just have to go and look for it."  
There was a pause on the other end. "Okay, Zain," said Samuel. "I've transferred some money into your bank account; you can get it with your ATM card. If you need anything at all, just give me a ring, and I'll help you in any way I can. And be careful; with all the random attacks and abductions that have been happening around the world, anything could happen."  
Zain nodded. "We'll be careful, Mr. Maybee. Thanks for everything." He ended the call.  
Just then, Karen came down. "Sorry I'm late," she said, sounding troubled. "I slept in too late."  
"You do not have to apologize for that," replied Guy. "After all, you have not arrived much later than Zain."  
Sasha looked at Zain. "What did Dad say?" she asked. Everyone turned and looked at Zain expectantly.  
Zain faced them all. "The next Sanctuary is called Lode Spire," he explained. "It's somewhere in the western part of this city, but Sasha's dad didn't know anything other than that. If we want to find it, we're going to have to search."  
"I suggest we split into separate groups," said Kato. "That way, we can cover more ground in less time, and we'll find it faster."  
Everyone agreed that this was a good idea. "Well, there are five of us," said Karen. "Who's going with who?"  
Kato folded his arms. "I will go by myself," he stated. "I mean no offense to any of you, but I will be able to work more quickly alone." His gaze focused on Zain. "That is, if you approve."  
Zain nodded. "If that's what you want, then sure," he agreed. "You don't need my permission, you know."  
"You are the leader," Kato explained. "I'll follow your orders."  
Before Zain could say anything, Guy spoke up. "I suggest that the remaining four of us be split into two groups: you and Sasha, and Karen and myself."  
Karen nodded her assent. "I agree with Guy, Zain," she said. "I think we'll be most effective that way. After all, before we all met each other, you and Sasha were a team, and me, Guy, and Neil were a team."  
Zain nodded as well. "It's settled, then," he said. "We'll split up into three groups here. We should also head in different directions, so that we don't end up covering each other's area. Kato, you head northwest. Guy and Karen, you go due west. Sasha and I will search to the southwest." He paused, making sure that everyone understood. "At 9:00 PM tonight, we'll meet up back here, to discuss what we've found."  
Karen smiled. "Okay. See you later."  
They split up and left the hotel, beginning their search for the next Sanctuary.

**_Meanwhile..._**

Samuel Maybee put down the phone. "I hope they'll be okay," he said to himself.  
He turned away from the phone and started walking, not having a clear destination in mind. He was so filled with concern that he didn't know what to do next.  
It was preposterous. The idea that a small group of teenagers could stop a planetwide alien invasion? Even if one factored in these teenagers' unique abilities, the very notion of such a thing was beyond reason. And with his own daughter among them, Samuel couldn't help but be even more worried about their welfare. And yet...  
Samuel still remembered that time 30 years ago. Back then, in the year 199X, a team of four gifted children, three of them even younger than Sasha was now, had done exactly that: they had stopped an alien invasion. Samuel still remembered that miracle; at that time, he himself had not been much older than those four heroes.  
_Maybe it IS possible,_ Samuel dared to hope. _If four kids could thwart an alien invasion by themselves... What would EIGHT be able to do?_  
He might not know if he believed in the possibility of their victory or not, but he had to believe in his daughter. He had to believe in Zain, the young man whom Sasha had dreamed of. He had to believe in the possibility that miracles COULD happen. And because he had to believe in them, he had to do everything in his power to aid them.

Samuel was startled from his reverie by a worker who had approached him. "Mr. Maybee, you have a call from Twoson," he said.  
Samuel frowned. "Twoson?"  
The worker nodded. "It's Mr. Orangere," he said. "He wants to speak with you."  
Samuel's blood ran cold. If Orangeman Orangere had discovered that his son was missing...  
"I'm on my way," he said.

**_To be continued..._**  



	21. Earthbound 202X Part 21

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 21: Reunion**

"I wonder if we can really even find Lode Spire...?" Zain mused. "We don't even know what to look for."  
He and Sasha were walking down one of the many streets of Quattro City, in the southern part of the western district. They were looking hard and inspecting everything that seemed out of the ordinary, but so far they had not found anything.  
Sasha smiled, trying to keep up a good mood. "It's too bad Dad couldn't give us better directions."  
Zain shrugged. "Or at least, he could have given us the names of the people he got his information from. Maybe they could have been able to help us." He thought for a moment. "In fact, when we meet up with Guy, Karen, and Kato later, we should call and ask him about that."  
"That sounds like a good idea," agreed Sasha.  
Zain looked away, and Sasha turned to face him. "...There's something else, isn't there?" she said.  
He turned back. "You know, you're starting to be able to read me like an open book."  
Her smile widened. "Well, you're a really bad liar, and you're no good at hiding things." She stopped walking. "So what's the matter?"  
Zain stopped as well, and turned completely to face her. He pointed at his goggles. "Notice anything?"  
Sasha clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward, pretending to scrutinize them. "Not really."  
Zain blinked. "What do you mean? The lenses are fixed!"  
"Oh, that," replied Sasha. "I guess they ARE fixed."  
"They were broken last night, and when I woke up this morning, they were repaired," said Zain. "I don't understand what happened; broken lenses don't fix themselves."  
He looked away, scratching his head. "Someone must have gotten inside my room and messed with them while I was asleep..." he mused. "But who...? And why would they...?"  
Sasha looked at the ground. "...It... It was me," she responded.  
Zain looked at her. "You?"  
She nodded, still not looking at him. "You forgot to lock your hotel room last night," she told him. "I wasn't very tired, because yesterday I didn't really do anything during the fights. So last night, I snuck into your room and took your goggles."  
Zain stared, awaiting further explanation.  
"There's a shop not far from the hotel," Sasha continued. "It deals in all kinds of antique things. The owner also has a hobby of fixing antiques." She paused, and then continued. "The shop opened early this morning, and I took your goggles there. I asked the owner to fix them, and he did."  
Zain took his goggles off and looked at them. "You had them repaired, Sasha?"  
She nodded, still not looking at him. "I... I wanted to do something nice for you," she explained. "I know how much your father's goggles mean to you, and I saw how sad you were when they were broken. I'm sorry I came into your room and stole them. I... I wanted to make you happy."  
Zain smiled. She had done all that for him... The sheer thoughtfulness of what she had done touched him.  
He stepped forward and hugged her. "Don't apologize," he said. "Thank you for doing that for me. I really appreciate it."  
Sasha smiled and returned his embrace. "You're welcome, Zain," she said. "I'm just glad I was able to help you."  
"You didn't have to do that just to make me happy, though," said Zain. "It makes me happy just to be with you."  
She looked into his green eyes. "Zain..."  
Suddenly the Receiver Phone went off, from where it was stored in Zain's backpack. Zain took off his backpack and dug the phone out. "I wonder who's calling?" he asked. "It's probably your dad again, Sasha."  
He pressed the black button to receive the call and and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"  
"Hello, Zain, it's Jeff," replied the voice on the other end.

"Jeff!" Zain exclaimed. "It's good to hear from you again! You haven't called in days!"  
"Sorry about that," Jeff apologized. "I've been busy in the lab, and I kind of lost track of the time lately. But you know, you could have called me, too."  
"I know," said Zain. "I guess I kind of lost track of things too. A lot's happened since you called last."  
"That's why I called now," explained Jeff. "How have things been going for you?"  
"We've visited two of the Sanctuaries," Zain told him. "Lumina Pillar and the Tranquil Zone. Right now, we're in Quattro City looking for the third Sanctuary, Lode Spire."  
Jeff paused. "Two Sanctuaries? That's great news! I had no idea you've made so much progress!"  
Zain smiled. "Yeah, we found them. Also, I've met four other members of the Chosen Eight."  
"Four others?" Jeff repeated. "That's wonderful! Who are they?"  
"Well, there's Sasha, who was with me last time you called," Zain answered. "And there's Kato, who's the son of Emperor Poo of Dalaam--"  
Jeff interrupted him. "Poo's son? You're saying Poo's son is one of the Chosen Eight?" He sounded as if he couldn't believe it.  
"Yeah," Zain confirmed. "There's also a girl named Karen, and Guy Orangere."  
Jeff didn't speak for a moment. When he finally spoke again, he sounded as if he were in a daze. "Who did you say the last one was, Zain...?"  
Zain blinked. "Guy Orangere," he repeated. "He's the son of--"  
Jeff interrupted him again. "Zain, I'll call you right back. I need a minute."  
Zain frowned, wondering what was going on. "Well, sure, if you need to do something," said Zain.  
"Thanks. I'll call right back after a couple of minutes." Jeff hung up, leaving Zain staring at the Receiver Phone in confusion.

At the Andonuts lab in Winters, Jeff turned away from the phone, still dazed by what Zain had told him.  
He looked over at the other side of the room, where Apple Man and his daughter were working on the scanning equipment. Soon the repairs would be finished, and then they would be able to search for Deckard's friend, and for the other Sanctuaries.  
Jeff looked at Kyla, who was too busy making adjustments on a circuit to notice him. He had just learned that her long-lost friend was actually a member of the Chosen Eight. _Destiny certainly works in mysterious ways,_ he thought to himself.  
As he looked at her, he knew what he had to do. Kyla wanted more than anything to see Guy again... And Jeff was going to make that happen.  
He walked over to her; she looked up as he approached. "How was Zain doing, Jeff?" she asked.  
"He's doing very well," Jeff replied. "He's already found two Sanctuaries."  
Kyla smiled. "Really? That's wonderful news!"  
Jeff nodded in agreement. "It certainly is," he said.  
He stood there for a moment, thinking. "I'm going to visit him in Quattro City later," he said. "I want to meet the other members of the Chosen Eight he's with. Would you like to come along?"  
"I'd love to," Kyla replied. "I'd like to meet the people who are supposed to save our world."  
Jeff grinned, running a hand through his blond hair, which was beginning to go grey. _You'll be meeting more than just the saviors of the world, Kyla..._ he thought to himself.  
Kyla's father looked up. "I think I'd better meet them too," he remarked. "I've been doing things to help them for so long, it wouldn't be right if I never even met them."  
"Right," Jeff agreed. "I was going to ask you to come anyway, Apple Man."  
A voice rang out from across the room. "I'd like to meet them too."  
They looked over at Deckard, who was leaning against the far wall. "From what you've told me," continued Deckard, "this Zain, and his friends, are fighting for everyone in the world, and everyone who's been abducted by the aliens... People like Lexa. I want to meet them, and help them if I can."  
Jeff smiled; during Deckard's stay at the lab, he had grown to like the young man. "Of course," he replied. "There's room for four in the Phase Distorter III."

"I wonder what he's doing?" Zain pondered, sitting on a bench in Quattro City.  
Sasha was sitting next to him. "Maybe he had to find something," she suggested.  
Zain looked at her. "He started acting strange when I mentioned Guy's name," he said. "Jeff knows Guy... But how?"  
Suddenly the phone rang again. Zain answered it. "Hello...?"  
"I'm back," Jeff announced. "Apple Man and I have decided to pay you and the others a visit."  
Zain blinked. "You're coming here?"  
"That's right," confirmed Jeff. "We want to meet the other members of the Chosen Eight."  
"Oh," said Zain. "Well, there's only me and Sasha here at the moment. We split up to look for Lode Spire. Guy, Karen, and Kato are elsewhere in town."  
Jeff paused for a moment. "I see. When are you meeting up?"  
Zain checked his watch. "At 9:00 tonight, Jeff. We're meeting back at the hotel we're staying at."  
"That should work out fine," said Jeff. "In fact, that should give us time to finish our work on our scanning equipment. If we can use that equipment, we may be able to help you find the Sanctuaries."  
Zain perked up upon hearing this. "You think so? That would be great!"  
"Okay then," said Jeff. "Shortly after 9:00, I'll home in on the signal in your Receiver Phone, and travel over to you in the Phase Distorter III."  
"I understand," Zain responded. "We'll see you then."

"I liked it better when the Sanctuaries were out in the middle of the forest," Karen remarked.  
Guy smiled. "The directions to reach the Tranquil Zone WERE rather straightforward," he agreed.  
Karen nodded. "What really gets me," she continued, "is that the entrance to Lode Spire could be anywhere in this city! We could have passed it up an hour ago, and we would never even know it. How can we search if we don't even know exactly what we're searching for?"  
"I do not know," admitted Guy. "But I do know that it is not Mr. Maybee's fault. If he had more information about Lode Spire, he would have given it to us."  
With a sigh, Karen sat down on the curb, watching the cars drive past. "I know, Guy..." she said. "That's not what I meant. I like Sasha's father; he's a really nice person. Kind of what I like to imagine MY father is like..."  
Guy didn't know what to say. He and Karen had opposite points of view on this subject; Karen wanted to know her father, while Guy wished that he DIDN'T know his.  
He sat down next to her, and tried to bring the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Perhaps you could try using your telepathy," he suggested. "If you could read the minds of others, it is possible that we might find some more information."  
Karen shook her head. "I won't do it," she said. "Believe me, I want to, but the moment I start using it again, THEY'LL find us."  
Guy nodded; the last thing he wanted to do right now was encounter Kaatz or Mister P again. "You may be right."  
She turned and faced him. "I really wish I could use that telepathy, though," she said. "Ever since I discovered it, it feels... wrong not to use it."  
Her black eyes adopted a far-away look. "Powers like these are meant to be used," she continued. "It isn't right to have to shut them away, and pretend they're not there." Karen looked away from Guy. "I... I guess you probably can't understand that, Guy."  
Guy flinched inwardly. There it was again, constantly showing up no matter how much he tried to ignore it. He was the only member of the group who did not have any special powers, no PSI at all. He knew that what she said was true; because he was a "normal person," Guy would never be able to truly relate to Karen.  
He closed his eyes. "No," he said softly. "I suppose that I cannot."  
Seeing what she had done to him, Karen looked down. "Guy, I'm sorry," she said. "That was a terrible thing for me to say."  
Guy shrugged. "It is true," he replied. "Having no PSI abilities myself, it is impossible for me to fully understand your situation."  
That didn't make Karen feel any better. "Let's talk about something else," she proposed, standing up. "Did you put your weapons back together last night?"  
Guy stood up as well. "I did," he said, drawing the reassembled Equalizer pistol out of his pocket as proof. "I was also able to complete a new weapon that I had been working on for some time."  
Taking several parts from his pack, Guy fit them together, producing a large bazooka-like gun. "I completed this last night," Guy explained proudly.  
Karen stared at it. "What does it do?" she asked.  
In response, Guy held up a small capsule-like object, about the size of his fist. "It fires these rounds, which I specially designed myself," he said. "Inside each capsule is an incendiary mixture, created from various chemicals that I found at the Orange Enterprises base. The heat produced upon impact is great enough to melt steel."  
Karen looked over his weapon, very impressed. "That's really amazing, Guy," she said with complete sincerity. "I don't know how you make these things."  
Guy shrugged, resting the barrel of the gun on his shoulder. "Before I met you, and Zain and Sasha, it was just a hobby of mine," he said. "Now these weapons actually have a practical use."  
He adjusted his glasses and looked at the gun. "There is one thing, though," he admitted. "I have not named this weapon yet. I name all of my projects upon completion."  
"Oh," said Karen. "Don't you have any good ideas for it?"  
"Some," Guy replied. He looked at her. "However, I decided last night that I would let you name it instead."  
Karen blinked. "Me? But why?"  
"You are my good friend, Karen," Guy answered. "I want you to name it."  
His warm gesture of friendship made Karen smile. "Are... Are you sure?" she asked. "You're the one who built it."  
"I am certain," confirmed Guy. He held out the weapon. "Please, give it a name."  
Karen looked at it, and nodded. "Okay... How about..." She thought on it for a moment, and then nodded again. "The Righteous Cannon. It burns our foes with the power of its righteous anger."  
Guy smiled. "Righteous Cannon it is, then, Karen." He cradled it in his arm. "Now, let us continue our search for Lode Spire."

About an hour later, they stopped again.  
"This is getting hopeless," said Karen, sighing in frustration.  
She folded her arms, becoming angry with herself. "If I can't even find a Sanctuary in a city, how am I supposed to find Neil?" she asked.  
"Do not berate yourself," said Guy. "Our inability to locate Lode Spire is not your fault."  
Karen turned to look at him. "But what are we supposed to do? If we don't find it, we might as well give up now!"  
"Our search is not over yet," Guy reminded her. "Besides, Zain, Sasha, or Kato may have found it already..."  
He trailed off, staring at something nearby. Karen turned to see what he was looking at.  
Between two buildings was a narrow alley. Despite the fact that there was still daylight outside, the alley was very dark and almost ominous-looking. It was too narrow for a car, only wide enough for three average-sized people to walk side by side.  
As Karen saw the alley, she felt something brush at the back of her mind... Almost as if something was calling to them.  
Guy turned to her. "Karen, did you feel that?" he asked.  
Karen broke her gaze from the alley and stared at Guy in surprise. "You mean, you felt it too?" she said. "But you don't have PSI."  
Guy shrugged. "I do not understand how I felt it, but there is something strange about this alley. We should investigate it."  
Karen nodded in agreement. "Absolutely."

The alley was even darker once they were in it. It was not very well taken care of; trash littered the ground, and moss grew on the walls of the buildings on either side. Weeds sprouted through cracks in the pavement.  
"Do you suppose that this could be Lode Spire?" Guy asked as they walked. "There is certainly something out of the ordinary here."  
"I don't know," Karen replied. "If it IS Lode Spire, we can't go there yet. Zain has the Sound Stone, and besides..." She recalled the ferocious beast they had fought at the Tranquil Zone. "It could be guarded, like the Tranquil Zone was. If it is, then it's going to take more than just the two of us to reach it."  
"I agree," said Guy. "However, we should investigate this place as far as we can before we turn back. This may not be Lode Spire, after all."  
Karen nodded. "We'll keep going for a while, and see if we can find out for sure--"  
She was interrupted by a shrill squeak from behind. Karen and Guy whirled around to see the source of the sound.  
A large rat stood there, blocking their exit from the alley. As they watched, four more rats appeared and joined the first, forming a line.  
Guy looked at the rats, and noticed the red glint in their eyes. He suddenly felt afraid. "They... They are Madness creatures!" he cried.  
Karen saw the Madness in their eyes as well. She felt more grateful than ever that she had blocked her telepathy; if she hadn't, she would surely be overpowered by the rats' insatiable urge to kill.  
Suddenly there was another squeak behind them, in the direction that they had originally been going in. Guy and Karen turned to look; ten more rats had appeared, each one of them with the Madness in its eyes.  
"We're surrounded," said Karen, becoming fearful; this was only the second time she had faced Madness creatures, and this time they were missing some members of their group. "What are we going to do?"  
Pushing aside his fear, Guy readied his new weapon. "We will have to fight our way out, of course," he replied, loading the cannon with one of his strange ammo capsules. "I will attack the larger group of rats. You attack the smaller group with your PSI."  
Karen nodded. Attempting to ignore her fear, she tried to concentrate, focusing her psychic power. Turning around, she pressed her back to Guy's, ensuring that neither of them would be attacked from behind.  
Guy lifted the Righteous Cannon to his shoulder and took aim. "Ready, Karen?" he asked.  
"I'm ready," Karen replied.  
The rats began to advance on them.  
"Now!" Guy shouted, pulling the trigger. At the same time, Karen released a PSI Fire Beta attack.  
The effect of Guy's new weapon on the rats was catastrophic. Blasted by the intense heat explosion of the Righteous Cannon, rats were sent flying in all directions.  
Karen's fire attack had a similar effect. The psychic flames that burst from her fingertips smashed into the other rats, obliterating them.  
After the smoke cleared, Karen and Guy inspected the results of their respective attacks. Karen's fire had scorched everything around her targets; the moss on the walls and the weeds growing out of the pavement had been burned away. The shot from Guy's Righteous Cannon had melted the pavement around his targets, along with part of the surrounding walls, which had buckled in a little.  
Not a single rat remained. The scent of burned fur hung in the air.  
Karen turned around to see how Guy was doing, and she saw the effect of his weapon. "Wow, Guy!" she cried upon seeing the melted area. "That's a really powerful gun!"  
Guy nodded, smiling. "It would appear that the name you gave to this weapon was an aptly chosen one," he said, holding it up triumphantly. "Righteous anger indeed."  
"How many shots do you have with that?" Karen inquired.  
"I made five of the ammunition capsules," Guy answered. "Now that I have fired one, four remain. To make more, I shall need more of the chemicals that I used."  
Karen took this in. "Maybe you should use your Equalizer pistol for now, then," she suggested, "and save the rest of your ammo for an emergency."  
"That is a good idea," agreed Guy.

Some distance further, they found the end of the alley. It ended in an open manhole cover, leading into the depths.  
"Where does that lead?" asked Karen. "The sewer?"  
Guy walked up and peered into the hole. "No, it does not lead into the sewer," he replied. "This hole goes deeper than that. I cannot see the bottom from up here."  
Karen looked up at the sky, which was beginning to darken. "Well, we don't have time to investigate this," she said. "We have to go back to the hotel and meet up with the others."  
Guy turned back to her and nodded. "Yes. But I believe that we should return here with Zain and look into this more; there is something strange about this place."  
She nodded in agreement. "Let's go back and tell him," she said. "I hope we don't run into any more rats on the way out of this alley."

At about 8:47 PM, Zain and Sasha returned to the hotel and sat down in the lobby, waiting for the others to arrive.  
About 8 minutes later, Kato came back. "Welcome back, Kato," said Zain. "Did you find anything?"  
Kato shook his head. "I searched everywhere I could in my allotted area," he replied, "but I found nothing. I even used PSI Form Change to sneak into restricted areas and search; I still found nothing. What about you?"  
"We didn't find anything either," said Sasha. "We probably didn't look as thoroughly as you did, but everywhere we looked, we didn't find anything."  
Kato shrugged. "I suppose it may take us more than one day to find this Sanctuary, then," he said.  
Just then, Guy and Karen came back, both of them talking among themselves. "Hi, Guy and Karen!" said Sasha. "Did you find anything?"  
Guy nodded. "We may have."  
At this, Zain leaned forward in his chair. "Really? You found it?"  
"We don't know if it's Lode Spire or not," Karen admitted. "We didn't really have enough time to look. But we found something out of the ordinary in the back of an alley; there's a manhole leading deep underground. Both Guy and I felt... attracted to it, for some reason."  
Zain smiled. "Well, whether it's the Sanctuary or not, we'd better go and check it out tomorrow," he said.  
Karen nodded. "We'll have to be careful, though," she warned. "There were creatures of the Madness in the alley; we were attacked."  
Zain nodded back. "If that's the case, then we'll definitely have to be careful," he said. "But we should be okay. As long as we watch out for each other, we shouldn't run into too much trouble."  
Karen smiled. "Right," she agreed.  
Then Zain remembered what had happened earlier. "Oh, and while we were separated, Jeff Andonuts called me," he said. "He said he was coming here tonight, to see how much progress we've made, and to meet all of you."  
Upon hearing this, Guy's eyes widened. "You mean to tell us, Jeff is coming here?" he asked.  
"Yeah, he's coming here," Zain repeated. "In fact, he should be here any minute now--"  
He was interrupted by a bright flash from outside the door. Everyone stood up and turned to look.  
The door opened, and Jeff Andonuts entered the lobby. Zain hadn't seen him in a week; he looked a lot better now, having fully recovered from his wounds.  
"Jeff!" Zain said warmly. "It's good to see you again." Guy stared at Jeff, wondering what to say to him; he hadn't seen Jeff in years.  
Jeff smiled. "Same here," he said. "I brought a few others with me; I hope you don't mind."  
The door opened again, and someone Zain had never seen before entered the room. The newcomer appeared to be older than Zain; he had disorderly black hair and dark eyes, and he was dressed in loose clothing and a jacket. He stood confidently and looked at all of them.  
Zain stared at him. _Who could this be?_ he wondered. Then their eyes met.  
All of a sudden, Zain was struck with the now-familiar sense of deja vu... The sensation that told him he had met another member of the Chosen Eight.  
Kato's eyes widened in recognition as he saw the other young man. He had seen this person before, four years ago, in his home country of Dalaam. "I know you," he said. "You're Deckard, the one that the old master took in and trained."  
Deckard blinked. "Oh, yeah, I remember you, too," he said. "You're that Kato kid, who was training to be a bodyguard. You were a lot smaller, the last time I saw you."  
Kato laughed warmly. "I'm a lot more than a bodyguard now," he said.  
Deckard looked at Zain. "You must be Zain," he said. "I've heard a lot about you from Jeff. I came to offer you my help, if you'll have me."  
Zain smiled. "That's great!" he exclaimed. "Because you're one of us."  
At this, everyone turned to him, surprised. "What?" asked Jeff. "You mean Deckard is one of the Chosen Eight?"  
Zain nodded. "Yes," he replied. "When I saw him, I felt the same feeling that I felt with Sasha, Guy, Karen, and Kato. He's definitely one of the Chosen Eight."  
Jeff shook his head in disbelief. "This is a real coincidence..." he said. "I had one of the Chosen Eight under my roof, and I didn't even know it..."  
Deckard stepped forward. "I don't fully understand this destiny thing," he admitted. "I'm not sure what it fully means to be one of these 'Chosen Eight' that Jeff and Apple Man told me about. But my sword is yours, Zain."  
Standing off to the side, Guy finally found his voice. "Jeff, it... It has been a long time," he said.  
Jeff turned to him. "Guy, it's really good to see you again," he said. "You've really grown up since the last time I saw you... Although you still talk the same way."  
Guy nodded. "I have... I have been through much since I last saw you," he said. Working up his courage, he asked, "How... How has... How has Kyla been...?"  
Jeff smiled. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"  
Just then, the door opened again. Zain, Karen, Kato, and Sasha looked as a girl entered the lobby. She appeared to be about their age (not counting Kato), and she had bright red hair and leaf-green eyes. She dressed in a private school uniform. As Zain looked into her eyes, he was assaulted by the deja vu sensation yet again.  
The girl smiled shyly as she looked at them. "H-Hello..." she said.  
Guy saw her, and he stared in absolute disbelief. "K... K-Kyla...?" he stammered.  
Hearing his voice, Kyla turned, and she saw him. Staring at him in shock, she was just as dumbfounded as he was. "G... Guy...?"  
Then Guy knew that it was real. His long-lost friend, Kyla Quinn, was really there.  
He had never felt so happy in his entire life. He felt as if his heart would burst from happiness.  
"KYLA, IT'S YOU!!!" he cried, taking off at a sprint and rushing over to her.  
Kyla smiled warmly at him, and ran to meet him. "Guy!"  
Karen stared at Guy in utter disbelief. "He... He actually said 'it's...'"  
When they met, Guy and Kyla threw their arms around each other. "Guy, I missed you so much..." said Kyla. "I never heard from you..."  
"I attempted to write to you..." said Guy. "I never received any reply..."  
Zain turned to Jeff and raised an eyebrow. "So this is why you came here," he said. "So that they could be together again."  
Jeff nodded. "The moment you said Guy was with you, I knew I had to do it," he explained. "Friends should never be apart..."  
Sasha nodded, smiling. "No, they shouldn't," she agreed. Almost without thinking, she reached out and took Zain's hand.  
The door opened again, and Apple Man entered the hotel. Guy and Kyla didn't even notice.  
Apple Man looked at them and smiled, and then he turned to Jeff. "So this was your plan," he said. "You could have told me what you were doing, you know."  
"You probably would have told her if I'd let you in on it," Jeff shot back. "I didn't want to spoil the surprise."  
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway," Apple Man admitted. "All that matters is that my daughter is happy. That's the most important thing; that's all I ever wanted for her."  
Zain stepped forward uncomfortably. "You... You must be Apple Man," he said. "Jeff told me about you."  
Apple Man nodded. "And you must be Zain," he said. "I'm glad to finally meet you." He smiled. "Now that I see you, you kind of remind me of Ness..."  
"Well..." said Zain. He looked over at Kyla. "Is she... your daughter?" he asked.  
"Yeah," Apple Man replied. "Is there something wrong?"  
Zain swallowed, hoping that Apple Man wouldn't be angry with him for what he was about to say. "Well... She's one of the Chosen Eight, too."  
Both Apple Man and Jeff stared at him in shock.  
Meanwhile, Guy and Kyla were almost in their own world. "I'm so glad we're together again, Guy..." said Kyla. "I really missed you..."  
"I swear that I will never leave you again, Kyla," Guy promised. "No matter what my father does, we will never be apart again."  
Kyla smiled. "How... How did you end up here, anyway?" she asked.  
"'Here' as in here in Hawkland, or 'here' as in here with Zain?" Guy asked.  
"Both," Kyla answered. "A lot has happened to both of us..."  
Guy grinned. "Well, I suppose that we have a lot of catching up to do, then," he said.  
On the other side of the lobby, Karen and Deckard watched them. Looking at them, and seeing how happy they were, Karen felt lonely. "I... I wish Neil was here..." she said softly.  
Deckard felt lonely as well. "I wish Lexa was here..." he said.  
They both heard each other. Startled, Karen and Deckard turned to face one another.

**_Meanwhile..._**

Kaatz paced back and forth in a room on the mothership, trying to formulate a plan.  
He had decided that it would be no use trying to convince Zain to join Giaguo's side. Merely suggesting such a thing to Zain would probably find Kaatz on the receiving end of Zain's unstable powers again, and Kaatz was not ready to go through that again.  
But he HAD to find some way to get Zain to join him. The boy had too much potential; Kaatz did not want to waste that potential by killing him.  
He had to figure out how to disable Zain, so that the boy could be held until Kaatz had... re-educated him in the ways of the universe, and in whose side he should actually be fighting on.  
That was a problem. Zain could not simply be disabled. As an empathic psychic, Zain unconsciously wrapped his mind in an unbreachable barrier against all outside interference, as an instinctive protection. That meant that he could not be affected by anything that attacked his mind. He could not be hypnotized, he could not be paralyzed... Even a telepath would be unable to see into his mind.  
But there had to be something Kaatz could do. Everything in the universe had a weak point; the difficulty was simply in finding and exploiting it. There had to be some way that Kaatz could subdue Zain... Some way that Kaatz could win against the boy's emotion-driven powers...  
Then he had it. He almost felt silly for not figuring it out before; it almost seemed pathetically simple. Kaatz finally knew Zain's weak point.  
Now that he had his plan, Kaatz had to prepare for it. He stopped pacing and left the room.  
He had a new pseal to develop.

**_To be continued..._**  



	22. Earthbound 202X Part 22

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 22: Family**

"You mean, someone close to you was abducted, too?" asked Deckard.  
Karen nodded. "My friend Neil was taken away," she replied sadly.  
Deckard nodded back understandingly. "I know how you feel. An alien kidnapped my friend Lexa about a week ago... I couldn't do anything to stop it. I've been trying to find her ever since."  
Karen smiled; it made her feel good to meet someone who could truly understand her situation. "Well, now that you're with us, we can try to save both of them together," she said.  
"That we can," agreed Deckard. "And it isn't just us; people all over the world have been losing loved ones in the abductions. We have to try to save them all."  
Just then, Kato stepped over to them. "Deckard, I trust you still have the Shining Wind Sword that the master gifted you with before you left?"  
"I do," Deckard replied, drawing it out. "It's my most prized possession."  
Kato grinned. "Then, I trust that you know what this is." He drew forth the Sword of Kings.  
Deckard's eyes widened. "It couldn't be!" he exclaimed.  
Karen looked at the swords. "They kind of look alike," she said.  
Kato looked at her. "That is because they were made by the same swordsmith, hundreds of years ago. The two swords represent the forces of earth and wind."  
Deckard frowned. "But, only a member of the royal family is allowed to wield the Sword of Kings. Why do you have it?"  
Kato folded his arms. "A lot has happened in Dalaam since you left, Deckard." He proceeded to begin telling Deckard of the last four years' events.  
Left out of the conversation, Karen walked away. She felt alone; Zain and Sasha were busy talking to Jeff and Apple Man, and Guy had eyes only for Kyla at the moment. With a sigh, Karen went over to sit down by the wall.  
Zain saw her. "Karen, come over here for a moment," he said.  
She got up and walked over to them. "What is it, Zain?" she asked.  
"I just wanted you to meet Jeff," Zain replied. He looked over at Jeff. "Jeff, this is Karen, the other member of our group."  
Karen looked up at Jeff, and their eyes met.  
To Zain and Sasha's surprise, Jeff staggered backward, his face gone white; he looked as if he had seen a ghost.  
"What is it, Jeff?" asked Apple Man. "What's wrong?"  
Jeff didn't take his eyes away from Karen. "H-Her..." he replied, pointing. "Zain, when you said you had a girl named Karen with you... It never even entered my mind that it could be THIS Karen..."  
Karen frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Is there something wrong with me...?"  
At that, Jeff shook his head, getting over his surprise. "...No, no, there's nothing wrong with you at all, Karen," he answered. "Nothing wrong with you at all."  
His mouth curved upward in a warm smile, possibly the most heartfelt smile he had had in a long time. "You have your father's eyes, Karen," he said. "And your mother's beauty."  
Upon hearing this, Karen's mouth dropped open in shock. "You... Y-You know my p-parents...?" she stammered.  
Jeff nodded, perplexed. "You don't know who they are?" he asked, slightly surprised. "Well, I guess that's only natural, since you were only 1 year old when they had to give you up..."  
Before she knew it, Karen was already asking him. "Who are they?" she demanded earnestly. "Please, if you know them, tell me who they are!"  
Jeff nodded. "Of course I'll tell you," he said. "I owe them that, and I owe YOU that. But first... Where did you live before you joined Zain?"  
Karen blinked. "The Duplora Orphanage," she replied.  
"I see," said Jeff, thinking on it. "So that's where you've been all these years... They never told me, so I never knew."  
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "In any case, I'll tell you what you want to know, Karen," he said.  
Karen leaned forward intently; finally, finally, she was going to learn who her parents were!  
Jeff smiled at her enthusiasm. "Your parents, Karen," he said slowly, "are Ness and Paula, whom I fought alongside in the war against Giygas."  
That was it. After so many years of not knowing where she had come from, Karen finally knew the answer. It almost felt like a dream. And to hear that her parents were actually heroes...  
Upon finally hearing the names of her parents, Karen stepped back, stunned. "You... You mean..."  
She was not the only one who was surprised; Zain and Sasha stared at Jeff incredulously. "Karen's parents are two of the Chosen Four?" said Zain.  
"Yes," said Jeff. "Karen's parents were the ones who ultimately defeated Giygas."  
"But what does this mean?" asked Sasha. "If her parents were part of the Chosen Four, and she's part of the Chosen Eight..."  
"It's one of those peculiar ways that destiny works," Jeff answered with a shrug. "The same way that Kato, the son of Poo, and you, the heir of this Premonition ability, are part of the Chosen Eight... And the same way that Zain, an 'empathic psychic' as you called it, is the leader of the Chosen Eight."  
Zain nodded. "Actually, when you think about it, all of us have something special. Guy and Kyla are the children of two people who were involved with the Chosen Four, and Deckard... Well, Deckard is connected to Dalaam in some way."  
Karen stood there, still thinking about the newly-revealed identity of her mother and father. "Ness and Paula, my parents..." she said softly. "Jeff, where do they live? I want to meet them."  
At this, Jeff closed his eyes in sadness. "I... I'm afraid that's impossible, Karen..." he said, trying to keep his voice level.  
"I-Impossible?" Karen repeated. "But why? I have so many things I want to ask them..."  
"Karen..." said Jeff, feeling worse and worse. "Your parents are... They..." He swallowed. "...They're passed away."

"Fifteen years ago, you were born," said Jeff. "My own father had recently passed on, and I had inherited his lab in Winters... Apple Man wasn't living there yet. Ness and Paula brought you over, so that I could see you." He smiled wistfully at the memory. "You were the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen... Not that I've seen that many babies in my life."  
By now, everyone, including Guy and Kyla, had gathered around Jeff, to hear his story. Karen sat in front of him, feeling empty inside. After all the years of wanting to meet her parents, the news that she could never do so had left her at a loss.  
"I still remember that day," Jeff continued. "They were so happy to have finally had a child..." He paused for a moment. "They moved into a house in Twoson, in Eagleland, so that they could be close to Paula's parents and the preschool that her mother ran." He sighed. "Everyone was so happy... And I was happy for them. They were my two dearest friends..."  
Jeff took off his glasses and wiped at them with a cloth. "An entire year passed, and nothing changed. It almost seemed like paradise; the world was at peace, Giygas had been gone for nearly sixteen years, I was able to pursue my studies and experiments, Poo was emperor of Dalaam, and Ness and Paula had you, Karen. It almost seemed as if our lives after the war with Giygas had been blessed."  
With a sigh, he put his glasses back on. "Then everything changed. One day, Ness and Paula showed up at my doorstep... without you, Karen. There was clearly something wrong; they both looked as if they had been chased, and they kept glancing around, as if they were expecting danger to suddenly appear. I asked them what was wrong, and Ness said, 'He's back, Jeff. After all these years, he's back! He's coming for us!'" Jeff swallowed. "Paula wouldn't even talk. I asked Ness where you were, Karen, but all he told me was that you were in a safe place, and that their only consolation at that point was that no matter what happened, you would be safe."  
Nobody else spoke; they were all too intent on listening to Jeff to say anything.  
"Shortly after that," Jeff went on, "they left. Ness said that he didn't want to put me in danger by them staying there. I asked them to stay anyway, but they wouldn't." He paused yet again. "A month later, I heard in the news that an anonymous couple had been murdered in Twoson. The bodies could not be identified, and there was no evidence as to the identity of the killers, but a few witnesses claimed that the killers were strange alien robots, and at the scene of the crime, it appeared as if a great battle had been fought. Becoming very afraid, I called upon Poo, and together we went to Twoson to inspect the bodies for ourselves. I had planned to use my own techniques to identify the bodies, but it wasn't necessary; Poo took one look at the bodies and said 'It's them.'"  
He hung his head, looking at the floor. "And that was it," he said. "After so many years of happiness, my two best friends, the heroes of this Earth who had defeated Giygas, were gone, almost in the blink of an eye. I felt so helpless, because I hadn't even been able to do anything about it. Trying to make up for my helplessness, I tried to find you, Karen, but even my most thorough searches failed."

With that, Jeff looked up at Karen. "I'm sorry I had to tell you this, Karen. I wish they were still alive, but they're gone..."  
Karen didn't know what to think, or do. She almost wished now that she still didn't know who her parents were. They were gone, and she would never be able to meet them...  
"Wait," she said, suddenly remembering. "My father told you that 'he' was back. Who is 'he'?"  
Jeff blinked, adjusting his glasses. "There's only one person your father could have been talking about," he said. "His name is Pokey Minch."  
Karen's eyes widened. "Pokey Minch?" she repeated. "I... I know that name!"  
"You do?" asked Guy. "Who is he?"  
"I've never heard that name," said Zain.  
Karen looked at all of them. "He's Mister P," she answered, still feeling numb.  
The effect on Zain, Sasha, and Guy was immediate. "He's the guy we fought in Duplora!" Zain cried.  
Surprised, Jeff stared at them. "You've met him?" he asked.  
"Zain saved Karen and Guy from him in Duplora," Sasha answered. "That's how we met them, after he ran away. Mister P works for the dark one!"  
"Oh, no," said Apple Man. "If that's true, then he's doing it again..."  
"Doing what?" asked Deckard. "What is this man doing?"  
"Serving the side of evil, to further his own purposes," Kyla's father answered. "He did it before, and now he's doing it again."  
"But who is he?" asked Kato.  
Jeff sighed. "I can't tell you everything about him," he admitted. "Only what I was told of him. The only person who could tell you everything is dead."  
"You mean my father," Karen corrected numbly.  
With yet another sigh, Jeff nodded. "Yes, your father," he agreed. "From what I've been told, he and Pokey were once next-door neighbors... They were friends, even. But even then, Pokey was always ambitious. He acted like he was better than everyone else, and he was always condescending toward other people his own age, including Ness."  
He paused, adjusting his position. "Then one fateful night in the year 199X, everything changed. Pokey's brother became lost at the top of the hill in Onett, and Pokey enlisted Ness' help to find him. They managed to find him, but then... They found a strange meteor on the hilltop."  
Zain's eyes lit up. "It was the night he learned of his destiny, wasn't it?" he said. "The same thing as what happened to me, that night last week."  
"Yes," Jeff confirmed. "It was that night. I hadn't become aware of my own destiny yet, at that time."  
"Wait," Sasha interrupted. "You told Zain his destiny at the meteor. But who told Ness? Didn't someone have to?"  
Jeff shook his head. "I honestly can't tell you who told him, Sasha," he admitted. "Ness never told me that. The only thing he ever said about it was that he was shown his destiny by 'an emissary from the future'... And more than once he said something about 10 years in the future."  
"10 years..." Guy repeated. "At that time, ten years into the future would have been the year 200X."  
"Right," said Jeff with a nod. "Apparently, Giygas had conquered the world by then, and everything on this planet had been enslaved. But we stopped that future from happening by defeating Giygas before he could carry out his plan. That's why the planet is still free now, 20 years after 200X."  
He slowly shook his head. "Anyway, we've gone off topic. After Ness found the meteor, he was informed of his destiny to lead the Chosen Four and save Earth from Giygas."  
Jeff looked solemnly at everyone. "That was when Pokey changed. Being as ambitious and selfish as he was, he could not abide that Ness, someone he had always seen as inferior, had a remarkable, grand purpose... While he himself did not. He resolved to make his own grand destiny, and to be greater than Ness at any cost."  
He smiled sadly. "The problem with that was that everything he did was wrong, and that it caused him to cross paths with Ness again, multiple times. Each time Ness met him, Pokey had weaseled his way into a high-ranking position under a corrupt leader, and each time, Ness defeated that leader, thus depriving Pokey of his power. No matter what Pokey did, Ness was always there to stop him. Finally, we found him in the service of Giygas himself, at the final battle. We defeated him there, too, and I never saw him again. But one night, after the final battle was over, and everything had settled down, Ness received a letter from Pokey, and in it, Pokey swore revenge for everything Ness had done to him."  
Jef paused, feeling a bit sadder. "But Pokey never resurfaced after that, so Ness eventually forgot about the letter. Who would have thought that it wouldn't be until 16 years later that he reappeared to take his revenge...?"  
At that, Karen suddenly recalled the words that Mister P had spoken to her...  
_No matter what I did back then, HE always got in my way... HE always stopped me. Carpainter, Monotoli, even Giygas... Every time I made something for myself, HE was always there to rip it away._  
_Even now, he stares at me through your eyes, taunting me, getting in my way._  
_I hate him. I hate him! I will destroy every last remnant of him in this world, including YOU!_  
"He... He killed them..." Karen said softly.  
She finally understood. _Everything... Everything that has happened to me is because of him. I had to live in that orphanage because of him, and I lost my first friend because of him... I was denied the right to know my parents because of him! Because of Mister P... No, because of Pokey Minch! HE'S responsible for everything bad that's ever happened to me!_  
As Karen's entire being was flooded with anger, something snapped within her. She stood up instantly, startling everyone.  
Her telepathy suddenly came back on of its own volition. She felt a tremendous power build up within her, and she suddenly realized that her PSI ability had radically expanded; strangely enough, she now knew abilities that she had never known before. She also realized, with some surprise, what she had to do next.  
As everyone watched, Karen's black eyes turned red, and pent-up energy began to crackle around her.  
Zain's jaw dropped. "Karen... You have empathic PSI too?" he cried incredulously.  
She looked up at him, and Zain saw the anger in her eyes that others had often seen in his own. "I have to go," she said emphatically.  
"Go?" Jeff repeated. "Go where, Karen?"  
Karen answered without pause. "To where it all began." She stepped away from the group, and raised a hand to her forehead. Gathering her newfound power, she used one of the abilities she had gained. "Teleport Beta!"  
Everyone's eyes widened as Karen began to spin into a whirlwind, and there was a loud _crack_ as she disappeared.

"It does not make any sense," said Guy. "During the entire time that she was with us, Karen never displayed such power. Her powers were formidable, but this is something else entirely."  
Sasha nodded in agreement. "And she never showed any of the empathic abilities that Zain had! What's happened to her?"  
Kato put a hand to his chin, deep in thought. "And she now knows how to teleport with PSI," he said. He recalled the words of the old master regarding the power of teleportation: _When you have mastered the power of teleportation, you must return to Dalaam, with Zain and your other companions._ But it was Karen who had used it; Kato himself still didn't know yet. So, he could not act on those orders yet.  
Then Jeff spoke. "Actually, it does sort of makes sense, if you think about it..." he said thoughtfully.  
"What do you mean?" asked Kyla.  
Jeff glanced at everyone, who were waiting for him to explain. He did not disappoint them. "30 years ago, Ness gathered the power of eight Sanctuary locations, the same as we are doing right now," he said. "However, unlike the current Sanctuary locations that empower each one of the Chosen Eight, the original 8 Sanctuaries were for Ness alone. When he finally visited each one, and the melody of the Earth was completed, Ness was gifted with the power of the Earth itself." He paused for effect. "This power made him far stronger than he had ever been before. Originally, Paula's PSI had been superior among the four of us, but with his new power, Ness outclassed even her."  
Zain blinked. "So what you're saying is that Ness became the strongest person in the world," he said.  
Jeff nodded in confirmation. "Yes, I suppose you could say that. In any case, this power had altered him; although he was still the Ness we had known, he was never quite the same after that, physically OR mentally." He stared off into space thoughtfully.  
Apple Man picked up where he left off. "I think I understand where you're going with this, Jeff," he said. "The incredible power from the Sanctuaries that Ness received... It must have been passed on to Karen."  
"Yes, that's it," said Jeff. "She must have received the power of the original 8 Sanctuaries through heredity... And for whatever reason, that power must have lain dormant in her, until now."  
Sasha looked at him, puzzled. "But did Ness have empathic PSI?" she asked. "Before she left, Karen's eyes were glowing red, just like Zain's."  
"That, I'm afraid I don't understand at all," Jeff replied. "If Ness ever had this 'empathic PSI,' he never showed it. I had never even heard of empathic PSI until just a couple of hours ago, when you and Zain told me about it."  
Zain looked up thoughtfully. "When Kaatz told me about being an empathic psychic, he called me a 'rare person,'" he said. "Empathic psychics must be even more rare than normal psychics. So if I'm one, and now it turns out Karen's one... What are the odds of that?"  
"That's the way destiny works, Zain," said Apple Man. "Seemingly impossible coincidences, and seemingly unrelated events." He smiled. "When I first met Ness back then, I had no idea that he was actually a chosen one of destiny. He gave me a hamburger and helped fund my research. It wasn't until later that I learned about the Chosen Four."  
Guy frowned, adjusting his glasses. "In any case," he interrupted, "we may have explained Karen's new powers. However, the question that remains is, where has she gone?"  
"To 'where it all began,'" said Kyla. "But where is that?"  
To everyone's surprise, Jeff quickly provided the answer. "That's easy," he said. "There's only one place she could have gone."

She now stood on the side of a large hill. It was nighttime, and it was quite dark outside. Behind her, at the bottom of the hill, lay a town, its lights like stars in the surrounding darkness.  
Wondering what town it was, Karen focused on it, feeling the minds of its inhabitants, and easily procured the answer. _Onett..._  
_That's where I am now,_ she thought to herself. She was outside the town of Onett.  
She still wasn't sure what had compelled her to come here... Or even HOW she had come here. Although she had several new abilities now, she had no idea where they had come from. She wondered if the overwhelming anger she had felt just a moment ago was responsible for it.  
That caused her to think of Zain and Guy and the others. _I hope they're not too worried about me,_ she thought. With some surprise, Karen realized that she could still feel their minds, even though she was now in a different country. Although she still was unable to read Zain's mind, the minds of the others were filled with concern for her.  
Upon feeling their concern, Karen hung her head, feeling guilty. She hadn't wanted to just abandon them, but the compulsion to come to this place had been so strong... She would rejoin them later, but she had something to do here first.  
Karen looked up, to the top of the hill. She felt that there was something up there, but it wasn't the reason she had come here. Maybe later she would go and see it, but first she had to fulfill her purpose for coming here.  
Finally, she looked in front of her. Before her sat an old house. It was all boarded up, and the paint was peeling. It wouldn't be many more years before it collapsed entirely. There was a battered and rusty mailbox nearby, but the name on it was faded and could not be read.  
Karen suddenly understood where she was. "This... This was my father's house," she said to herself.  
Slowly, almost reverently, she approached the house. Without thinking, she materialized a hammer of psychic force in her hand and smashed the boards on the door.  
This was why she had come here. It was time to see what was inside.

**_Meanwhile..._**

On board the mothership, Giaguo's eyes widened as he suddenly felt the mind of Target Priority Three once again.  
Kaatz and Mister P stood before him. Kaatz was in the process of explaining his plan, while Mister P had just arrived in the chamber. "What is it, Master Giaguo?" asked Kaatz.  
"It is Target Priority Three," the master answered, his voice adopting an aura of pleasure. "She has begun to use her telepathy again. I know where she is."  
The effect on Mister P was immediate. "HER?" he cried. "Please tell me where she is, Master Giaguo! I want to finally finish this!"  
"Very well, Pokey," said Giaguo. "I will give you another chance. She is now in the Earth town of Onett."  
Mister P grinned, an evil glint coming into his eyes. "Onett, huh... Then I know exactly where she is." He laughed. "I won't fail you this time, Master Giaguo."  
He turned and left the chamber. As he left, he murmured to himself, "You won't escape me this time, Karen. Not this time..."  
After he was gone, Kaatz sighed. "I don't know why you trust him so much, Master Giaguo," he said.  
"In spite of his shortcomings, he is useful at times," the alien replied. "And I still have yet to figure out how he managed to control Giygas-12162203616-630. Such a thing should have been impossible, and yet he did it."  
His voice took on an aura of impatience. "Enough about him," he said. "Show me the plan you have prepared."  
Kaatz smiled. "Of course, Master Giaguo."  
He explained his plan. After he was finished, Giaguo thought for a moment. "It is a good plan," he said, pleased. "And I believe that it may actually work."  
"Then I will carry it out at once," said Kaatz. He turned to go.  
The master stopped him. "Wait," he said.  
Kaatz turned back to face him. "Yes, Master Giaguo? What is it?"  
Giaguo's eyes narrowed. "I think that I will come with you this time, and handle this matter personally."  
Kaatz's human eye blinked. "You're going to leave the mothership?"  
After a pause, the alien replied, his voice taking on an aura of certainty. "Yes. This matter is important. I wish to personally ensure that nothing goes wrong."  
He pressed a button inside his tank, and all of the fluid inside it began to drain out. When it was all gone, Giaguo transformed.  
Kaatz stared as the tank opened up, and a handsome human man stepped out of it. He had tanned skin, brown hair, and a mustache and beard. He was dressed in a regal-looking black cloak.  
Giaguo smiled, something he had been unable to do in his natural form. "This form should be sufficient," he stated; although his voice was no longer as otherworldly as it had once been, it still carried the same force. His eyes were deep black, hinting at the completely-black eyes of his regular form.  
"It's quite kingly," Kaatz complimented.  
"That is good to hear," said Giaguo, flexing his newly-acquired fingers. "I would like to make a good impression when we meet Zain and Target Priority One."  
Kaatz frowned, wondering about something. "Master Giaguo, if your race has the ability to shapeshift, why do you usually remain in your natural form, which needs an environment tank? Why don't you use another form more often, so that you have more mobility?"  
The master folded his arms, walking over to Kaatz. "That is a legitimate question," he said. "And the answer is this: though my race is able to take other forms, it is uncomfortable for us to remain in those forms indefinitely. We prefer to remain in our natural form, because it is the most comfortable."  
He paused, pacing back and forth. "Unfortunately," he continued, "in my natural form, I must breathe the liquid atmosphere of my home planet, while nearly all of the subservient races on this ship breathe a gaseous mixture. Since there is only one of me on this ship, and there are thousands of them, it is more economical to have the ship be filled with their kind of atmosphere, and for me to live in the environment tank, which is filled with my planet's atmosphere."  
Kaatz nodded. "I understand now, Master Giaguo."  
"Good," said Giaguo. "Now, enough talk. Let us go and carry out this plan..."

**_To be continued..._**  



	23. Earthbound 202X Part 23

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 23: Karen's Trial**

From where she was standing, the interior of the house seemed as worn-out and run-down as the outside. Karen stepped inside.  
Since the windows were boarded up, it was even darker inside the house than outside. Without thinking about it, Karen raised her hand with the palm facing up, and a small globe of psychically-produced light appeared above it, illuminating the area.  
She was in what was apparently the living room of the house. The floor was covered with a carpet, which was dirty and faded in places. It also had insects and spiders crawling across it, which scuttled away from her light as she approached. For some reason, Karen had a feeling that the carpet was not originally a part of the house, and had been added later. The ceiling was covered with cobwebs and spiderwebs.  
There was a sofa in the middle of the room, which was covered with a dusty old cloth. Karen didn't touch it; there was no telling WHAT was living inside it now. She looked over to the right wall; there were a few lamps, and a telephone sat on a table. Karen walked over and picked up the phone with her free hand; it was dead. _I wonder how many times my father picked up this phone?_ she thought.  
Further in the room, there was a dirty table, which Karen didn't touch. A chair sat near it; it looked like it might have been quite comfortable once, but now one of its legs was broken, and something had been tearing up the cushion. In the wall, there were some stairs; Karen ascended them, hoping that they wouldn't break beneath her.  
Upstairs, Karen found herself in a nondescript hallway. The carpet that had been added downstairs had not been added here; there was a hardwood floor underneath Karen's feet, which was so grimy and dirty that Karen felt glad that she was wearing shoes. There was a door in the left wall of the hallway, but when Karen looked at it, she had a feeling that there was nothing there for her to see. But the other door, in the far end of the hallway, was different; she felt drawn to it. She walked down the hallway and opened the door.

This room was what she had been looking for. Although it was just as dirty and aging as the rest of the house, Karen didn't notice it in here.  
It was a bedroom. _My father's bedroom..._ thought Karen. There was a bookshelf and a desk on her left, and on her right there was an old, simple table and chair. A dust-covered lamp sat in the corner, and on the far side of the room, there was a bed.  
Karen walked over to the bed. _This is where he slept, 30 years ago..._ she thought. Something inside her told her that this bed was it... Where it all began, as she had said. 30 years ago, her father had started his quest to defeat Giygas right here.  
There was an object on the bed. Karen picked it up and brushed off all of the dust.  
It was an old baseball cap, faded and well-worn. Karen turned it around in her hands, inspecting it. The cap was red, with a blue bill; there wasn't any team name on it. Looking inside it, Karen could not find a manufacturer's tag. To her surprise, however, she found a note hidden inside. Setting the cap back on the bed, Karen unfolded the note and read it.

_"Dear Karen..._

I don't know if you'll ever find this, but your mother tells me that you will. But if you ARE reading this, then the worst has happened, and we're no longer around.  
Both of us are terribly sorry that we had to leave you in that orphanage, but we had to do it for your own safety. Maybe by the time you read this, you'll understand why; your mother is convinced that you have her telepathy ability somewhere inside you.  
In any case, Karen, I hope that you know that we do love you. You're the most special thing that ever happened to us, and there is nothing that can change that. We love you, Karen, and no matter what happens, no matter where we are, we will always be with you.

Love,  
Your Father"

By the time Karen finished reading it, she was crying. All her life, she had always hoped that wherever they were, her parents loved her.  
"They love me..." she sobbed, clutching the note to her heart. "They do love me..."  
Although she still didn't know what had drawn her to this house, she now completely understood WHY she had been drawn here. It was to find this note, to learn that her parents loved her.  
Folding the note back up, Karen picked up the baseball cap from the bed and stuck the note back inside. Then, she raised the cap and placed it on her own head. Strangely enough, it fit perfectly, as if it was meant to be there.  
Feeling at peace, Karen smiled. "I love you... Mom and Dad."

She left the house. There was nothing left for her there; Karen had found what she had come for.  
She looked up toward the top of the hill again. "I guess I'll go and see what's up there," she said to herself.  
As she started on the path to the top, Karen suddenly noticed something else, next to her father's old house. It had been a house once, but no longer; all that remained was a burnt-out foundation. Karen had a feeling that she knew who once lived there.

The path to the top of the hill was long and winding. Along the way, Karen saw another abandoned house, much smaller than her father's; there was a billboard in front of it, but the only part of the faded text she could make out was "Agerate." _I wonder who this Agerate is?_ she thought.  
Finally, not long after that, Karen reached the top of the hill, going around a few old police barriers along the way.  
At the top of the hill, a meteor sat in a crater. It had long since cooled off, and there were several pieces missing.  
"This must be it," said Karen. "At this meteor, my father learned of his destiny." She looked up at the night sky. "I wonder if the meteor Zain saw looks like this one?"  
She walked over to the edge and looked down on the town of Onett, its lights shining at the bottom of the hill. "Maybe I'll go down there and see what Onett is like..." she decided.  
Suddenly, another voice rang out. "I'm afraid you're not going to get that chance."  
Karen whirled around. "Who's there?" she demanded. _Why didn't my telepathy detect someone?_ she wondered.  
Her eyes widened as Mister P rose from behind a bush. "Hello there, Karen," he said, adopting his usual sneer. "I've been waiting for you; I figured you would eventually come here."  
His eyes locked onto the baseball cap that Karen now wore, and his sneer became a snarl. "I see you've been learning a few things," he said.  
Her surprise gone, Karen narrowed her eyes in anger at him. This was the man who had stolen her life. "I've learned a lot lately," she agreed, feeling her anger build up. "You murdered my parents!"  
Mister P laughed. "Murder? I suppose you could call it that if you want. But since I attacked them with three hundred Starmen Elite, it was more like a massacre." He laughed cruelly.  
Karen's hands balled into fists. "You murdering pig--"  
"Oh, shut up," Mister P interrupted. "You look like you've gotten a little feistier since our last meeting. You wouldn't have spoken to me like that last time; last time you were too busy cowering in fear."  
"I'm not afraid of you anymore," Karen stated.  
This caused Mister P to laugh even harder. "Oh, you will be, Karen," he said. "I'm not going to fail this time. Your precious Neil can't jump out of the dark and save you, and there's no Zain to help you. You're completely alone, and this time you're not going to elude me!"  
"I can protect myself," Karen spat. "Especially from the likes of YOU, Pokey."  
Mister P's laughing smile turned back into his angry snarl. "I don't go by that name anymore," he said. "Pokey Minch is gone. I am Mister P, galactic warlord!"  
"You're Pokey Minch," said Karen. "A murderous, cowardly, fat pig. You're the man who stole my parents from me, and you stole my first friend from me. You stole my life away from me, but you won't steal anything else from me, Pokey Minch!"  
Mister P roared in anger and flicked his wrists, causing his blade and his paralysis gun to come out of his sleeves. "You stupid girl! I'll kill you just like I killed your whole family!"  
He aimed his paralysis gun at Karen and fired. The beam stopped about an inch in front of her and was dispersed.  
"What the...?" exclaimed Mister P. "It... It can't be!"  
Karen smiled. "It's not going to be so easy for you this time, Pokey." As she said that, her eyes turned a burning red, and pent-up energy began to crackle around her.  
Mister P's jaw dropped. "You... You don't have that power!" he cried. "You CAN'T have that power!"  
Karen's smile widened. "Like I said... I've learned a lot lately." She reached out with one hand and spread her fingers at Mister P. She felt her anger building up, fueling her power. _This is how Zain feels when he's about to release his power,_ Karen realized. _It... It feels invincible!_  
With that, she released her power. "PSI Fire Gamma!"  
The burst of fire that exploded forth from her hand was larger than anything she had ever been able to do. The conflagration scorched everything in its path, burning it all to ashes.  
When the smoke cleared, however, Mister P was still standing there. His psychic shield faded from view, becoming invisible again. He smirked. "My new shield generator is a newer model," he said. "It's stronger, so it can take whatever you can dish out with ease."  
Her failure to hit him made Karen angrier. "Try this, then!" she shouted, raising her other hand and gathering her power again. Focusing her anger, she called upon one of the new abilities she had learned. "PSI Freeze Gamma!"  
Indeed, Karen had learned Sasha's Freeze ability, though she still didn't know why. The air around Mister P froze solid, trapping him in a block of ice.  
Karen was about to smile in triumph when the ice block suddenly exploded outward, sending chunks of ice flying everywhere. Mister P grinned as his psychic shield returned to its normal size and became invisible again. "Nice try," he said, "but you still failed."  
_I don't believe this!_ Karen shouted in her mind. _Zain took out that shield with a single attack! Why can't I?_ Her frustration caused her anger to rise again, and she called upon another power. "This, then!" she shouted. "PSI Thunder Gamma!"  
Three giant bolts of electricity lashed out and struck Mister P's shield with full force... And reflected off of it, flying back at Karen. She barely managed to throw herself out of the way as the bolts screamed past; as she hit the ground, her cap fell off.  
Karen stared at Mister P. _Even that didn't work...?_  
"You may have gotten a little stronger," sneered Mister P, "but you're still nothing. Nothing but a weak remnant of your pig's butt father. I destroyed him, and now I'll finally destroy all that's left of him!"  
Karen grabbed her hat and got up. Staring Mister P in the eyes with her own red eyes, she put the cap back on her head. "It's not over yet," she snarled.  
"Oh, but it is," said Mister P. "You can't touch me with your PSI. You might as well just submit to me!"  
"NEVER!" Karen screamed.  
Mister P smiled evilly. "Then you'll just have to die!" Grabbing his right wrist, he twisted something in his sleeve. The metal blade slid back inside, and a longer, glowing blade of energy sprang out to replace it. "I'll cut you to pieces!"  
Without thinking, Karen reached out and raised her hand, with the palm facing up. A glowing sword of psychic energy materialized above her hand, and she grabbed it. "You're not going to hurt me anymore," she said.  
"Nice trick," said Mister P, "but can that thing measure up to my Photon Blade?" With that, he attacked her.  
Karen blocked his slash with her sword, and then retaliated. Her psychic blade glanced off of Mister P's psychic shield.  
Mister P laughed. "Don't you get it? Your weapon is made of psychic energy; it can't go through my shield!"  
Karen gritted her teeth. _I HAVE to get rid of that shield!_ she thought desperately. _If I can only get rid of that shield, he'll be almost helpless!_  
She raised her other hand and materialized the hammer of psychic energy that she had used to get into her father's house, and brought it crashing down onto Mister P's shield. The force of the collision jarred her arm terribly, but Karen forced herself to ignore it.  
_I have to overload it somehow... If I can just hit it with enough force..._ She raised her psychic weapons to try again.  
"You really should just give up," said Mister P with a sneer. "It would make it a lot easier for both of us."  
Suddenly Karen had an idea. The psychic weapons she was using were extensions of her mind; there was no reason why she had to HOLD them.  
She outstretched her arms and sent the hammer and sword flying away, behind Mister P, who laughed. "Finally decided to give up?" he asked, thinking that she had thrown the weapons away.  
Stepping away from him, Karen let her anger build up. She thought of how Mister P had killed her parents, how he had pretended to be her father on that night last week, how he had stolen Neil from her... This man, Pokey Minch, had ruined her life... And Karen was NOT going to let him take that life!  
Her eyes burned even redder, and energy began to crackle around her again. A strong wind began to blow, swirling around her.  
"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Mister P. "Haven't you realized by now that you can't hit me?"  
"I'M NOT DONE YET!" Karen screamed. "I WON'T LET YOU HURT ME ANYMORE!"  
With a thought, she sent her psychic sword and hammer crashing into the back of Mister P's shield. The force of the blow actually caused him to stagger. "What the...?"  
Karen thrust both hands outward. Spreading the fingers of her left hand, she attacked. "PSI FIRE GAMMA! PSI FREEZE GAMMA!"  
From both of her hands, a Fire and a Freeze attack exploded forth simulaneously. "This can't be!" Mister P cried.  
The dual attacks struck the front of his shield as the sword and hammer were still striking the back. Even with all this, the shield still managed to disperse the attacks... But after that, it winked out, overloaded. The rest of his devices also overloaded, and his Photon Blade winked out as well.  
Now that he was unprotected, Mister P suddenly became afraid. "This... You can't be this strong!" he cried. "There's no way you can be this strong! It's not possible!"  
Karen smiled, and materialized her psychic sword again. "It's over, Pokey." Then her eyes narrowed. "What have you done with Neil?"  
Clearly defeated, Mister P scrambled backward, frantically searching for his communicator. "You'll pay for this!" he shouted. "It doesn't matter how strong you've become! Master Giaguo will destroy you!"  
"Where is Neil?" Karen repeated.  
Mister P found his communicator and scrambled to his feet. He faced Karen furiously. "You're just like your father," he snarled. "Getting in my way and causing me to fail. But I got him in the end, and I promise that one day, I'll do the same to you! One day, I WILL kill you, just like I killed your cursed family!"  
"WHERE'S NEIL?" Karen shouted.  
Mister P smiled viciously. "You're never going to see him again," he said. "You may have won this fight, but your friend still belongs to Master Giaguo! And you'll never see him again!" He pressed a button on his communicator, and he disappeared in a flash of light.  
Even after he was gone, Karen could still hear his deranged laughing.

With the object of her anger gone, her anger faded away, and her eyes faded back to their normal black color. Her psychic sword dispersed.  
Despite what he had said, Karen felt somewhat triumphant. _I beat him..._ she thought. _I beat him all by myself..._  
But even though she had defeated Mister P, Karen still felt concerned for Neil. "I have to find him..." she said to herself. "I have to find him... I swore I'd find him, no matter what..."  
She missed Neil terribly. No matter how strong she became, it meant nothing if Neil was not there with her. She had other friends as well now, but Neil was different... He was the first person to show her kindness. Neil was special to her.  
Karen turned and stared at the place where Mister P had been standing before he left. "I WILL see Neil again," she said defiantly, fighting back tears. "I WILL see him again. I WILL find him someday. I swear I'll find him."

**_Meanwhile..._**

Mila tried to remember when she had been in a worse predicament... And realized that she couldn't think of one.  
Sitting on the floor, she tried not to look up at the Gang Members nearby. As per the order of their leader, at least fifteen of them kept watch on her at all times, though it was usually more.  
Her back still felt somewhat sore from being bested by Dangerous Tom. She still couldn't believe how that had happened. Mila was the best fighter of Home Base, yet Dangerous Tom was far beyond her level. She still remembered how he had calmly caught her fist as if he weren't even trying.  
_How am I going to get out of this?_ she wondered. No matter how hard she thought, she was unable to come up with a solution. She could easily beat one or two Gang Members, and maybe even five, but even she could not stand up to fifteen at the same time, and Dangerous Tom himself was only one floor above her...  
Mila started to feel despair as she began to realize that she had no choice but to either accept Tom's offer, or remain like this, perhaps until Tom tired of waiting for her to come around and simply had her killed. She would never see Brian, or anyone else from Home Base, again.  
She didn't think Dangerous Tom would kill her, though. He had seemed too sure of himself, too certain that sooner or later, Mila would give in to him.  
As she thought that, Mila became even more resolved not to accept Dangerous Tom's offer. If she gave in, it would mean that Tom had won, that he had beaten her spiritually as well as physically. Mila would never accept that.  
_I will never submit to him..._ Mila promised herself. _Even if it means that I'll be a prisoner forever._

Later that day, Tom came to see her again, still as clean as ever. "Hello, Miss Aisengarde," he said amiably as he approached. The Gang Members parted to allow him through.  
Mila didn't bother to stand up. She searched Tom for some trace of the nightstick he had hit her with before, but she saw no sign of it. _He's probably carrying it somewhere..._ she thought bitterly.  
Dangerous Tom folded his arms. "Have you reconsidered my offer yet?" he asked. "It really would be better if you did. Believe me, Miss Aisengarde, I do not wish for you to be a prisoner here."  
She folded her own arms, mocking him. "Even if I do give in to you, which I'm not," she replied, "I would still be a prisoner... YOUR prisoner. I'd rather die."  
Tom sighed. "That's too bad," he said. "I really wish you would get over your childish contempt of me and accept this. Think of it, Miss Aisengarde; by my side, you would rule Ellay with me."  
"You're full of it, Tom," Mila retorted. "You say those things, but all you want is to conquer me. I'll never give you that satisfaction."  
He shrugged. "Then, I suppose you'll just have to remain the guest of my men for a while longer," he said. "But I am confident that you will come around in time, Miss Aisengarde." He turned and walked away, and the Gang Members resumed their watch over her.  
Mila glared in the direction he had gone. "Don't count on it," she muttered.

**_To be continued..._**  



	24. Earthbound 202X Part 24

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 24: Lode Spire**

When Guy woke up the next day, his head was still filled with mixed feelings.  
On one hand, he felt extremely happy. After years of being apart, he and Kyla were finally together again. That fact was still hard to believe; the reunion had been so sudden, last night. But sudden or not, now that they were together again, Guy truly understood how much he had missed her.  
But on the other hand, he felt concerned for Karen. Like the others, he too had been surprised by her abrupt departure. Jeff Andonuts had said that Karen had gone to Onett in Eagleland... And if that were true, then she was in a completely different country now. Over the time they had been together, Guy had become an especially close friend to Karen, and now that she was no longer with them, he was worried for her. _I hope she finds what she's looking for in Onett,_ he thought. _And I hope she comes back to us..._

When he exited his hotel room, he found Kyla waiting for him. "Good morning, Guy!" she said, her green eyes lighting up.  
Guy smiled. "Good morning to you as well, Kyla," he said happily. "But why are you standing outside of my room? Has something happened?"  
Kyla shook her head. "No, it's not that," she answered. "It's just that now that we're together again, I wanted to spend as much time with you as possible."  
Guy blinked. "But Kyla, you sound as if we are going to be apart again."  
She looked at the floor. "Well, last night I started feeling... afraid," she admitted. "I mean, your father deliberately had our mail intercepted so that we couldn't communicate with each other... If he did that just to keep us apart, then what will he do when he finds out we're together again? He's the most powerful man in the world; if he wants to, he can separate us again."  
"Kyla, I told you last night," Guy replied. "No matter what my father does, we will never be apart again. I am not going to let that man control me any longer."  
Although she still looked somewhat unconvinced, Kyla let the matter drop. "Well... Have you been working on any new weapons?"  
"Several," Guy answered proudly. "And I have recently completed two. Would you like to see them?"  
Kyla smiled. "I'd love to."

After waking up, Deckard quietly exited his room and went down to the lobby.  
Seeing Guy and Kyla's reunion had made him lonely, and it had been a very painful reminder of what he had both gained and lost in a single day last week.  
_From now on, I'll always notice you..._  
Deckard had always believed that he would never need anyone else, that he already had everything he needed within himself. But a serving girl at the Anti-Stoic Club named Alexis Ciroa had made him realize that he was wrong.  
He missed Lexa terribly. Deckard wondered what kind of place she was in right now, and if she was okay. He wondered if he would ever find her, and if she would still be alive and unharmed when he did.  
He still recalled the Abductor Mook's vengeful words. _By taking this particular one, you accursed Earthling, you will be forced to live the rest of your life with the knowledge that you could do nothing to save her! You will feel this pain as long as you live!_  
The Abductor Mook had been right. Deckard certainly felt that pain. Because he had completely expended all of his energy in the PSI Eternal Wind Sword attack, he had been unable to do anything to help her.  
_I wonder if I'll ever meet that Abductor Mook again?_ Deckard pondered. He knew one thing for sure; if he ever did encounter it again, he would make it pay for what it had done to Lexa.  
At least he seemed to be on the right track to fulfilling his goal. Since he appeared to be one of these "Chosen Eight," their mission was to defeat the aliens who were invading the planet. Hopefully, this quest would eventually lead him to Lexa, and certainly Deckard wanted to prevent any more abductions from happening.

When he reached the lobby, he found Kato already there, meditating. "Good morning, Kato," he said. "Or should I call you Prince Kato now?" He was still surprised about that particular fact.  
"Just Kato will be fine," Kato answered. "I have simply been called Kato all my life, and my true identity is no reason to change that. Besides, I am not a prince here; I follow Zain's orders, as should you."  
"I intend to," Deckard agreed. "Though I still don't understand why someone like him, with little fighting experience, is the leader."  
Kato shrugged. "It is destiny," he answered, "and it is not our place to question destiny. Besides, you haven't seen Zain in battle; in his own way, he is far stronger than any of us." Then he frowned. "However, I have seen his future at the Tranquil Zone, and... it is not a happy one."  
Deckard blinked. "What do you mean?"  
Kato sighed. "Well... He is going to--"  
Just then, he was interrupted. "Good morning," said Zain, coming into the lobby. "You guys are up early."  
Kato swallowed uncomfortably, and stood up. "I was meditating," he explained. "In this crowded city, this hour of the day is the quietest time. In any case, you are up early yourself." Deckard looked at Kato strangely, wondering why he had suddenly left the previous subject.  
"I figured that I should get an early start today," Zain answered. "Guy may have found Lode Spire yesterday, and we're going to go check it out."  
Deckard turned to him. "We are?" he said. "But what about that Karen girl?"  
Zain shrugged. "I don't know why she left," he said. "I'm worried about her, but we have to find the Sanctuaries. Don't worry, Deckard; she'll be back."  
Kato raised an eyebrow. "But Zain," he pointed out, "what if Lode Spire is Karen's Sanctuary? It won't respond without her."  
"There's a chance of that," Zain admitted. "There's also a chance that it could be for the last member of the Chosen Eight that we still haven't met. But like Karen herself said once, we can't afford to hesitate."  
"Which is why we're going right now," added Sasha, who had suddenly come up behind them. "I already told Guy and Kyla; they should be down any minute now."  
Zain nodded approvingly. "That's great. I also told Jeff and Apple Man what I had planned, and they agreed with me."  
"Yes, we did," said Jeff, entering the lobby, "but actually, we'd like to come with you."  
Apple Man strode in behind him. "That's right," he agreed.  
Just then, Guy and Kyla entered the lobby as well. "You mean you're going to the Sanctuary with us, Dad?" Kyla asked incredulously.  
Apple Man nodded. "We may be able to help you," he replied. "And Jeff wanted to see what one of the Sanctuaries looks like, and if it looks anything like the one's he's seen."  
"But the paths to the Sanctuaries are dangerous, and well guarded," Kato pointed out. "If the two of you come with us..."  
Jeff laughed. "I don't think you need to be concerned for our safety, Kato," he said, brandishing the numerous guns slung over his back. Apple Man drew some very wicked-looking weapons from holsters at his sides, showing them off.  
Zain turned away, trying to hide a knowing smile. He still recalled the night he met Jeff, when all of the scientist's weapons had proved to be no good against the Starman Junior X. But he didn't say anything, preferring not to hurt Jeff's feelings.  
"In any case," Zain finally said, "we're getting ahead of ourselves. We can't just automatically assume that the place that Guy and Karen found yesterday is Lode Spire. It's possible, but it could also be something else, or nothing at all. I certainly hope that it's Lode Spire, because then we can collect its part of the melody, but it's important for us not to jump to conclusions."  
Jeff gave an approving nod. "You're absolutely correct, Zain," he said, starting to grin. "You know, you seem to have taken on your role as leader of the Chosen Eight very well."  
Sasha smiled at Zain. "That's what I've been telling him," she remarked. "He makes really smart decisions, and he always has our best interests at heart. We couldn't ask for a better leader. I don't know if I speak for anyone else, but I'm really proud of him."  
"I must agree," added Guy, who had arrived with Kyla in the lobby a short time ago and had heard Sasha's praise. "In the short time that I have known Zain, he has proven himself to be an effective and capable leader. I also feel a great degree of pride toward him."  
Kato folded his arms and gave a small smile. "It is true, what Sasha has said," he stated. "Were Zain emperor of Dalaam, the people would follow his word without question."  
Surrounded by praise that he wasn't sure he deserved, Zain looked at the floor in embarrassment. "I... I'm not really that great," he said. "I just try to think about what's best for everyone. We're the Chosen Eight, not the Chosen ONE; every one of us is essential to this group, and no one person is more important than any other."  
As he said this, Sasha's smile widened. "That's exactly why I'm proud of you," she declared.  
Deckard nodded in agreement. "I haven't known you for very long, Zain," he said, "but hearing what you just said, I see why the others believe in you. I will have the same faith in you, Zain."  
Even Kyla gave her input. "Guy spoke very highly of you, Zain," she said, "and I can see why."  
Zain sighed, feeling even more embarrassed. "Now... Now that everyone's here, let's just go and investigate that place," he said.  
The group left the hotel, with Guy leading the way to where he had been yesterday.

"This is the place that Karen and I discovered yesterday," said Guy, pointing at the alley. "Both Karen and I felt drawn towards it, as if it were calling to us."  
Kyla blinked. "I can feel it too, Guy," she told him. "It's almost like... something's tugging at my mind, telling me to go in there."  
When he heard this, Guy scratched his chin, thinking. "What is odd about this," he mused, "is that both Kyla and myself are able to feel this, despite our complete lack of any psychic abilities."  
Deckard stepped back in surprise. "I can feel this too," he said. "It's drawing me towards it." Kato nodded in agreement, not speaking.  
"I can feel it too," Sasha announced.  
Zain nodded. "So do I," he said, turning to Sasha. "But since Guy and Kyla feel this too, I don't think it has anything to do with our PSI." He turned to Jeff and Apple Man. "Do either of you feel anything?"  
Apple Man shook his head. "Not me," he replied. "It just looks like a normal alley to me."  
Jeff stared at the alley. "I do feel some kind of attraction," he said. "As if there's something important over there."  
Kyla's eyes lit up. "That's it, then!" she exclaimed. "This place is drawing the Chosen Eight!"  
Everyone turned to her for an explanation. With everyone staring at her expectantly, Kyla felt less sure of herself. "W... Well, everyone of the Chosen Eight is attracted to this place..." she said. "But Dad can't feel it because he's not part of the Chosen Eight..."  
Apple Man blinked. "Then why does Jeff feel it, Kyla?" he asked. "He's not one of the Chosen Eight."  
"No," Jeff agreed, shaking his head, "but I'm one of the Chosen Four. Because of that, I must be able to sense whatever they sense." He shrugged. "Don't ask me to explain it, because I don't know how to."  
Zain shrugged also. "It doesn't really matter anyway," he said. "What does matter is finding out whether or not this thing that's drawing us is Lode Spire... And I'm starting to think that it is."  
"But how can you know?" asked Sasha. "Lumina Pillar and the Tranquil Zone didn't attract us like this."  
"That is true," agreed Kato, "but we have now visited both Lumina Pillar and the Tranquil Zone. Now that we have visited two Sanctuaries, perhaps we are able to feel the presence of other ones."  
Deckard sighed. "All this speculation is getting us nowhere," he said. "Let's just go and check this place out already!"  
Zain nodded at him. "You're right," he said. "Let's go in."

Despite the strange attraction that nearly all of them felt, the alley was as dark and uninviting as Guy remembered it.  
When they came to the scene of Guy and Karen's fight with the Madness rats, Guy pointed at the buckled and melted walls. "Here is where Karen and I were attacked by rats," he explained. "They had been affected by the Madness. We effectively retaliated and defeated them."  
"'Effectively retaliated,' huh..." said Zain, gaping at the destruction that Guy's new weapon had caused.  
Kyla reached out and touched one of the melted walls, which had cooled since yesterday. She looked at Guy and smiled. "Let me guess... Righteous Cannon?"  
Guy returned her smile. "You are correct, Kyla," he replied proudly. He had shown it to her earlier that day.  
Kato stared at the melted area. "Guy may not be a trained fighter, and he may not possess PSI," he said, "but I would not want to cross him."  
"I'll say," Deckard agreed. He briefly wondered what a weapon like that would do to a human.  
Apple Man grinned, taking off his apple-shaped hat and bowing to Guy. "Guy, I'm really impressed," he said. "Even Jeff couldn't make a weapon like this at your age."  
"That's not true," Jeff spat back. "I was younger than Guy when I made the first Gaia Beam."  
Apple Man turned to him and laughed. "Is someone getting jealous?" he asked.  
"No," Jeff replied with a sigh. "I'm really impressed with Guy's weapon skills too."  
Guy looked down, unused to so much praise.

Shortly after that, the group reached the end of the alley.  
Guy stared down the open manhole cover. "As you can see, everyone," he said, "this hole runs very deep. It is impossible to see the bottom from here."  
Deckard reached into the hole and grasped the rusted ladder inside. "This ladder seems sturdy enough," he appraised. "I don't think it'll break."  
Zain looked inside, and quickly looked away again, feeling dizzy. "That's... That's an awfully long drop..." he said softly, starting to feel afraid. He sat down on the ground, still feeling dizzy.  
Noticing that something was wrong, Jeff turned to Zain. "Zain, are you okay?" he asked.  
Sasha remembered what had happened to him on the airplane. She knelt down next to him and put her arm around his shoulders. "He's acrophobic," she explained to Jeff.  
"I... I'll be okay in a moment," said Zain, shivering a little. "I'm really sorry, everyone... I thought I was only afraid of flying, but when I looked into that hole, I started thinking about how long of a drop it was, and what would happen if something went wrong..."  
"It's okay, Zain," said Sasha. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, remember?"  
Zain nodded weakly, and looked at the others. "All of you go on ahead down," he said. "I'll take up the rear with Sasha."  
Kato nodded back to him. "If that is your wish, Zain. I will see you at the bottom." He climbed into the hole and began his descent.  
The others also acknowledged his request and started downward. "Be careful going down, Zain," Jeff warned before he went down.  
A moment later, Sasha asked, "Are you okay now, Zain? Do you think you can stand?"  
"I... I think so," Zain answered.  
With Sasha's help, he managed to get back on his feet. "I can't believe I'm scared of a hole in the ground," he said, embarrassed. "This hole didn't even have anything to do with Dad's death! Why am I afraid of ALL heights?"  
Sasha hugged him close. "Zain, I told you there's nothing to be ashamed of," she said.  
He sighed. "I know..."  
"Do you think you can climb down?" asked Sasha.  
"I... I don't know..." said Zain. "If I get paralyzed with fear like that again, I'd probably end up falling off the ladder."  
"You'll be okay," Sasha assured him. "I'll be with you, Zain. As long as we're together, we can overcome anything, and that includes your acrophobia."  
At that, Zain smiled warmly, and nodded. "Together we'll make it, Sasha."

With a tremendous force of will, and a lot of help from Sasha, Zain managed to reach the bottom of the shaft. It was pitch black inside; Zain reached into his backpack and brought out his flashlight.  
Everyone was waiting for him. "Zain, are you okay?" asked Jeff.  
"I'm fine," Zain replied with a forced grin, scratching his head. "I don't know if I would have been able to do it without Sasha, though." He turned and smiled at her, and then looked around with the flashlight. "Where are we, anyway?"  
"It appears to be a mine of some sort," replied Guy, who had been using his own flashlight to scan the area. With the light, he showed that they were in a tunnel; wooden beams were set at fixed intervals to maintain the tunnel's integrity, and an old minecart track ran along the ground. "It is strange, though..." he continued. "Why would an abandoned mine exist underneath Quattro City?"  
His words jogged something in Kyla's memory; several years ago in her history class, the professor had taught a segment on Hawkland history... "I... I know!" she exclaimed.  
Everyone turned to her. "What is it, Kyla?" asked Apple Man.  
Kyla smiled. "About 150 years ago, a miner named J.D. Quattros struck silver in this area," she explained. "Because of that, many other miners swarmed to the area in hopes of getting rich, and they dug a silver mine. A town quickly grew up around the mine, and because the mine was located so close to the ocean, it came to be called Quattro Coast." She paused to take a breath. "But then, the silver mine ran out. Without the silver, the people of the town turned to the ocean for their living, and the town eventually grew into the present-day Quattro City."  
She gestured at their surroundings. "We're in the original silver mine that gave birth to Quattro City," she stated triumphantly.  
Deckard gaped at her. "...That would explain it..." he said, astonished.  
Guy smiled. "Now that you mention that, Kyla, I recall that class as well," he said. "I am amazed that you remembered that fact; if I properly recall, everybody found that class to be dull."  
"I didn't think it was dull," replied Kyla. "I loved learning about the history of other countries. You were too busy trying to figure out how to build a weapon with the professor's eraser to properly pay attention."  
Guy scratched his head sheepishly and nodded. "I do recall THAT, perfectly."  
Zain folded his arms, impressed. "Still, it's amazing that you knew that fact," he said sincerely. "I'm a citizen of Hawkland, and I didn't even know that."  
Sasha stopped paying attention as she was suddenly assaulted by the remnant of her sealed Premonition ability again. She stared down the tunnel, her eyes glazed over. "Zain..." she said softly, "this place is dangerous. If we go... Something bad could happen..."  
Zain looked at her. Although he knew that they had to go on anyway, he knew full well by now that when Sasha sensed danger in the future, it was a good idea to listen to her. "How far away is the danger, Sasha?" he asked. "If we go on, when will it show up?"  
"It's not far..." Sasha replied, not all there. "If we continue, we'll be..." She suddenly saw the identity of the danger that would assault them. "Rats... There are rats everywhere..."  
She suddenly turned to Zain and ran into him, throwing her arms around him. "Zain, they have the Madness!" she cried. "They're... They're everywhere! We can't... We can't possibly get past so many of them..."  
Zain grabbed Sasha by the shoulders and shook her. "Snap out of it, Sasha!" he ordered. By now, Deckard and Kyla were looking at Sasha strangely, wondering what was wrong with her.  
Sasha blinked, and then everything was back to normal. Noticing that she was holding tightly onto Zain, she reluctantly let go of him. "I... I'm sorry," she said. "Other than the dreams, that was the most intense vision I've ever had. I'm sorry for panicking."  
Zain smiled at her. "There's nothing to be sorry for," he replied. "Just like you told me: you have nothing to be ashamed of."  
Deckard stared, confused. "Um, what's going on with her?" he asked. "Is there something wrong with her?"  
Zain and Sasha turned to explain, but Jeff beat them to it; they had explained Sasha's Premonition to him last night. "Sasha has a limited ability to see the future," he stated. "Although it was supposed to have been sealed, this power still functions in certain ways. What you just saw, Deckard, was one of them." He adjusted his glasses.  
"Oh," said Deckard, pretending to understand.  
"Sasha," said Zain, "I know that you saw danger ahead, but we have to keep going. If Lode Spire is in this mine somewhere, we have to find it, no matter what."  
Sasha nodded slowly. "I know. But please, we have to be careful..."

As in the cave to the Tranquil Zone, Kato led the way through the mine tunnel, because he didn't need a light to sense his surroundings, and because he could react to danger more quickly. This time, however, Deckard joined him; having received the same training in Dalaam, Deckard was almost as capable in the dark as Kato was.  
Behind them, Zain and Guy led everyone else with their flashlights. Sasha and Kyla walked in the middle, where it was safest. Jeff and Apple Man took up the rear, checking behind them to make sure that the group was not attacked from the rear; Jeff had a flashlight attached to the barrel of his Gaia Beam 3.0, and Apple Man used a portable lamp that illuminated the entire area.  
Even though Sasha had said that there was danger ahead, nothing appeared to menace them. As they continued to walk without being attacked, Guy allowed his mind to wander a bit. He wondered where Karen was, and what she was doing. Things just didn't seem to be the same without her; he felt as if the group was missing something vital. _I hope that wherever she is, she's okay,_ Guy thought.  
His mind drifted back to thoughts of Kyla, as it often did now. Before she had come, Guy had been the only one in the group without any psychic abilities. Even though the others would never even dream of excluding him in any way, Guy had felt like an outsider when the others had talked about their PSI. But now that Kyla was here, Guy had someone to relate to, someone perfectly ordinary, just like him.  
_That's not true,_ Guy suddenly thought to himself. _Kyla is anything but ordinary..._  
Without stopping, Guy turned just enough so that he could see her out of the corner of his eye. Kyla noticed his movement, and as their eyes met, she smiled at him. Guy returned the smile, feeling his spirits lift even in the dark old mine. _She's even more beautiful than I remember..._  
Suddenly, Kato interrupted Guy's daydreaming. "Stop, everyone."  
"What is it, Kato?" asked Zain. "What do you see?"  
Deckard pointed forward. "Somebody shine their light ahead," he directed.  
Guy aimed his flashlight far forward... And the light reflected off of hundreds of pairs of glowing red eyes.  
Sasha gasped in terror. "It's the rats!" she cried. "They... They're everywhere!"  
"There must be hundreds of them!" exclaimed Kyla.  
The giant mass of rats covered the floor of the mine tunnel before them. As the group stood there, the mass began seething and writhing, almost as if it were a single entity.  
"It's almost like they were expecting us," said Deckard. "There's no other reason why they would be massed like this, in this place."  
Sasha drew close to Zain, terrified. "How can we fight off that many?" she asked, certain that the situation was hopeless. "Even with our PSI, they'll overpower us!"  
"No, they won't," Zain replied, already feeling his power rising.  
Looking at the rats, Kato suddenly had an idea. "I will take care of this," he told the others. Turning to Deckard, he said, "Deckard, I am going to try something. Surround me with a power shield." He closed his eyes and began to concentrate.  
"Coming right up," said Deckard. He pressed two fingers to his forehead and concentrated. "Shield Beta!"  
Kato smiled as his body was enveloped by Deckard's power shield. "Now we will see how you rats fare against your natural enemy," he stated. "PSI Form Change!"  
Everyone stared at Kato in surprise as he transformed into a tiger. When his transformation was complete, he let out a loud roar and charged forward into the rats, slashing violently with his razor-sharp claws.  
Taken aback by Kato's ferocious attack, the others could only watch the fur fly. Kato was a veritable storm of teeth and claws, tearing through the rats like a knife through paper. And the rats were unable to touch him, thanks to Deckard's power shield; whenever a rat tried to attack him, the force of its attack was reflected back upon it, causing even further damage.  
After about a minute, it was all over. Of the colossal sea of rats that had menaced them, none remained. Kato let out a roar of triumph and transformed back into his original form.  
Turning to face the others, Kato grinned. "Problem solved," he stated.  
"That was very impressive," said Guy, awed.  
Jeff nodded in agreement. "I concur," he said. "In fact, what you just did sort of resembled something Poo was able to do..."  
"What do you mean?" asked Zain.  
"Poo had a strange ability to assume the forms of his enemies," Jeff explained. "He could become an exact mirror image of the enemy he faced, assuming that enemy's shape and abilities."  
Kato shook his head. "I cannot do that," he said. "PSI Form Change is the ability that was granted to me by the Tranquil Zone. It allows me to assume other shapes, but not other abilities like PSI."  
Apple Man shrugged. "Still, it's an amazing ability, to be able to transform into any shape." Everyone nodded in agreement.  
Kato shrugged. "In any case, now that the threat is gone, we should continue onward."

Shortly after Kato's fight with the rats, Deckard came upon something shiny on the ground, about the size of a baseball. He picked it up and brushed it off on his sleeve.  
"Hey Zain," he called. "Look what I found." He turned around and brought the object over to the main group.  
Zain's eyes widened in surprise. "It's... It's a piece of silver!" he exclaimed.  
"It's beautiful..." said Sasha, staring at it. She had always particularly liked the luster of silver, even more than gold.  
Guy folded his arms. "But Kyla said that all of the silver in this mine was depleted," he argued. Kyla nodded in agreement.  
Deckard shrugged. "Well, this piece was just lying on the ground," he said. "It was already mined out. Someone must have dropped it here, and it's been forgotten until now."  
Jeff stepped over to them. "Well, in any case, one doesn't usually just find silver lying on the ground," he said, looking at it. "We should hold onto it; we might have a use for it later."  
Deckard nodded. "I can't carry it, though," he said. "I don't have anything to put it in."  
"You could put it in Zain's backpack," suggested Kyla, looking at it.  
Zain shook his head. "Use Guy's," he said. "Mine's a bit full right now."  
With a shrug, Deckard handed the silver piece to Guy, who put it in his backpack.  
Sasha stared at Zain. "Full of what?" she asked.  
Zain reached inside it and brought out a wrapped hamburger. "Supplies," he answered, unwrapping the burger and taking a bite.  
Sasha laughed and pushed him playfully. "Oh, you..."  
"Well, I knew I was going to get hungry, so I stocked up yesterday," said Zain. "Want one?"  
"Sure," replied Sasha. "I'm kind of hungry too."  
Zain handed her one. "Anyone else?" he asked. "There's enough for everyone."  
Everybody ended up taking one (except for Kato, that is). "You must get really hungry if you carry so many," Kyla commented.  
"Zain's appetite is almost legendary," said Sasha jokingly. "I've never actually seen him get full."  
Jeff looked at Zain. "It's little wonder," he said. "The use of something as powerful as Zain's empathic PSI would be very draining on the body's energy resources. Because of that, Zain would have to ingest and metabolize a very large amount of food to compensate."  
Zain blinked. "I never even thought about that," he said.

A fair distance after that, they saw light ahead. "Light?" said Kyla. "Why would there be light down here?"  
Zain, Sasha, Guy, and Kato shared a look of understanding. Jeff stared ahead at the light as one of the memories from his past resurfaced.  
"This doesn't make any sense," said Deckard.  
Zain shook his head. "Believe me, it makes perfect sense," he replied. "When we get to the source of that light, you'll understand." He looked around at everyone. "Get ready, everybody... We're in for a fight."  
Jeff nodded. "That's what I thought..." he said.  
Guy brought out the Righteous Cannon and loaded one of his ammunition capsules into it. "We are going to miss Karen's presence in the coming battle," he said.  
"We probably are," agreed Zain. "But we have to keep going anyway."  
Finally they reached the source of the light; the tunnel widened considerably as they approached. As with the previous two times, it was a brilliantly shining orb, hovering above the ground.  
"What... What is this?" asked Deckard.  
Jeff sighed. "I've seen one of these before," he stated. "About six times."  
As they stared at it, the orb suddenly pulled all of the light back into itself. It changed shape and assumed a form, and the light died out.  
Almost fittingly, a giant rat stood before them, blocking their path. It was about half the height of the Mighty Bear Seventy. Jeff gasped in astonishment. "It... It looks almost like something I've seen before..."  
Surprising Kyla and Deckard, the rat spoke. "Welcome, intruders," it said in a nasally, evil voice filled with dark intent. "I am the Deadly Pestilence Rat, loyal follower of the master. Beyond here is Lode Spire." It laughed, sounding almost like a hyena instead of a rat.  
Jeff stared at it. "Are you by any chance related to the Plague Rat of Doom?" he asked.  
The Deadly Pestilence Rat smiled. "Ah, so you know of him," he said. "I was based upon his design from Giygas-12162203616-630 when I was created in the master's laboratories."  
"Wait a minute," said Apple Man. "You mean you were created by Giaguo... And the guardian of Magnet Hill 30 years ago was created by Giygas?"  
"Nearly all of us guardians are created," the rat replied. "I was once a normal rat like any other... But the master's race is well-known for its affinity for... experimentation."  
Sasha looked down. "That's... That's terrible..." she said. "That means... Turbo Cat used to be a regular cat, and the Mighty Bear Seventy was just a normal bear... And the dark one turned them into monsters..."  
Zain raised his bat at the rat. "If you were once a normal rat, then why are you helping Giaguo?" he asked. "Giaguo is trying to conquer our planet... YOUR planet!"  
"What do I care if the master takes over such an insignificant planet?" retorted the Deadly Pestilence Rat. "I am a servant of the master; it's not MY world anymore at all. Once this world is conquered, we will move on to the next, and the next after that, and the next after that! This world is just one tiny drop in a sea of conquest that has been going on for thousands of years!"  
Kato drew his sword, and Deckard followed suit. "If that is how you believe, then we will go through you!" Kato declared.  
The Deadly Pestilence Rat grinned evilly. "Lode Spire is mine," he stated. "If you want it, you will have to take it from me."  
With that, the guardian sprang forward, attempting to bite them.  
Zain met the attack with a heavy swing of his bat. The rat was smitten in the face, and a few teeth were knocked loose.  
"Beware, everyone!" Jeff cried. "Its bite is poisonous!"  
"How nice of you to notice," said the Deadly Pestilence Rat. To everyone's surprise, he suddenly closed his eyes and concentrated. "PSI Thunder Beta!"  
Two bolts of lightning struck out and hit both Jeff and Apple Man, knocking them backward. Jeff managed to get back to his feet, but Apple Man collapsed to the ground and did not rise. "Dad!" cried Kyla.  
"You'll be joining him soon enough, girl," stated the rat. It began to concentrate again.  
Seeing what the guardian was about to do, Sasha concentrated her powers as well, finally using the power she had gained from Lumina Pillar. "PSI Shield Gamma!"  
Kyla looked around in surprise as she was surrounded by the advanced psychic shield. Just then, the Deadly Pestilence Rat attacked. "PSI Beam Gamma!"  
The beam struck Kyla's shield and dissipated as if it were nothing more than a beam from a laser pointer. The advanced psychic shield showed no signs of weakening.  
The rat stared at Sasha. "So, you have the power of Lumina Pillar," he said.  
"And the power of the Tranquil Zone!" added Kato. "PSI Form Change!"  
Everyone stared at Kato as he tranformed into a duplicate of the Mighty Bear Seventy. Without pause, he lunged forward and attacked, closing his powerful jaws on the rat's neck.  
"That won't work!" cried the rat. He writhed out of Kato's grip and bit the warrior's arm instead.  
"Kato!" cried Deckard.  
Kato suddenly felt the strength leave his body. Unable to hold his form, he returned to his original form and collapsed to the ground, poisoned.  
Sasha turned to Zain. "Zain, you have to help him!" she cried. "You're the best healer!"  
"I will," Zain replied. "Somebody create a diversion while I help him!"  
Guy raised the Righteous Cannon to his shoulder. "I will do so for you," he said. He fired the cannon at the guardian.  
The Deadly Pestilence Rat was suddenly blasted in the face by an extremely hot explosion. He fell back, stunned, and the wall of the tunnel next to him partially melted.  
Zain saw his chance. He dashed over to Kato, already feeling his power rising to his call. Crouching down on one knee, he placed a hand on Kato's body. "Healing Omega!"  
All of the poison was suddenly cleansed from Kato's body, and he got up, feeling completely fine. "My thanks, Zain," he said.  
"No problem," Zain replied.  
Just then, the Deadly Pestilence Rat got back to his feet; his face was badly disfigured from the blast of the Righteous Cannon. "You will pay for that!" he yelled. Furious, he charged at Zain and Kato.  
Zain raised a hand, his eyes suddenly becoming red. "PSI Hyperion B--"  
He wasn't fast enough. The guardian charged into them, and Zain and Kato were sent flying into the far wall of the tunnel. "Zain!" cried Sasha.  
The Deadly Pestilence Rat turned to the others. "Now it's your turn!" he shouted. He began to concentrate.  
Sasha saw what he was about to do. In a panic, she tried to prepare for it as best as she could. "PSI Shield Sigma!"  
A psychic shield began to form around her and the others just as the rat attacked. "PSI Fire Omega!"  
Sasha's hastily-manifested shield wasn't strong enough; she wasn't used to making wide-area shields. Some of the fire dissipated against it, but the rest broke through and blasted everyone, knocking them all to the ground.  
The Deadly Pestilence Rat calmly strode over to finish them off. "Thus ends the Chosen Eight," he said evilly, raising his claws.  
"Not yet, it doesn't," said Deckard, slowly rising to his feet. He raised the Shining Wind Sword. "I swore I'd find Lexa, and I'm not about to let some mutated rat get in my way."  
The guardian laughed. "What do you think you can do?" he asked. "All you've done this whole time is stand there."  
"Until now," retorted Deckard. He brought up his sword in two hands, forming a stance.  
"What do you think you're doing?" asked the Deadly Pestilence Rat.  
Deckard didn't answer. He began to concentrate as hard as he could, gathering his mental energy. He focused every bit of energy he could muster into what he was about to do next.  
The Deadly Pestilence Rat's eyes widened in surprise as the air around Deckard began to crackle with energy. "What... What are you doing?" he asked, beginning to feel afraid for the first time.  
"This ends now!" Deckard shouted. "PSI Eternal Wind Sword Alpha!"  
He suddenly blasted forward at a blinding speed, slashing over and over again almost instantaneously. Over and over again he attacked, until he could do so no longer.  
Breathing heavily, Deckard leaned on his sword and looked at what he had done.  
Over by the wall, Zain recovered and jumped to his feet, ready to attack.  
There was no need; the Deadly Pestilence Rat had been totally obliterated.  
Slowly, everyone got up, and saw what Deckard had done. "Deckard, you... You defeated it!" said Jeff.  
Deckard nodded, feeling extremely tired.  
"I saw what you did, Deckard," said Kato. "That is a very interesting attack you performed."  
Deckard smiled. "I developed it from something the old master taught me," he said, his speech slightly slurred. "I learned how to use my mind to enhance my body's strength and speed exponentially. The only problem is, this attack is an all-or-nothing attack; using it consumes all of my energy. I can barely stand right now."  
"Well, you did really good, Deckard," said Zain. "You saved all of us with that attack."  
Kyla went over to her father and helped him up. "Dad, are you okay?" she asked.  
"I'm fine," said Apple Man, feeling sore. "I'm just not much of a warrior; a single attack KO'd me."  
Sasha looked ahead. "Let's go forward to the Sanctuary," she said. "I bet it will make Deckard and Kyla's dad feel better."  
Jeff nodded in agreement. "If it's anything like the Sanctuaries I remember, then it certainly will."

Beyond the scene of the fight, they found the third Sanctuary.  
The tunnel opened up to a cavern. In the center of the cavern, there was a large, otherworldly-seeming stone, in the shape of a spire.  
"This is it," said Zain. "Lode Spire..." He dug around in his backpack and brought out the Sound Stone.  
Guy stepped forward, feeling strange. "I... It feels as if I know this place," he said.  
He walked over to the stone; it was somewhat reflective, and he saw his image in it as he approached. Suddenly, the image shifted, and instead of himself reflected in the stone, Guy saw a young black-haired woman. When he stepped closer, he saw that she had dark blue eyes... The same color as Guy's left eye.  
Guy knew exactly who she was. "...Mother...?" he said softly.  
_You have become such a wonderful young man,_ said the image of his mother. _And no matter what you choose in life, know that I am with you, and I am proud of you._  
Guy took off his glasses and wiped the tears from his eyes. "I... I love you, Mother..."  
His mother smiled. Her image faded away, and Guy saw himself reflected in the stone once more. _There is no power that I can give to you that you can use,_ said his mother's voice. _But you have a special power all of your own... And with that power, you will be able to make use of this knowledge._  
Guy stared at the stone spire in surprise as the idea of a new weapon burned itself into his memory. _I have to build this,_ he thought to himself. And unlike with most of his weapons, he already knew what he was going to call it. _The Mother Weapon..._  
Next, everyone was filled with the warmth of the Sanctuary, and all of their wounds and fatigue faded away. Deckard looked around in amazement as all of his energy was restored by Lode Spire.  
And then, a clear melody rang out.  
It was the next part of the melody begun by Lumina Pillar and continued by the Tranquil Zone. All of them were tranfixed by it; it took away their worries and left them at peace, even if only for a time.  
As suddenly as before, this melody cut off as well. And then the Sound Stone began to glow once more with its blue light.  
As everyone watched, the Sound Stone played the melody from Lumina Pillar. When it reached the end of that part, it continued on with the part from the Tranquil Zone. And after that, instead of stopping, it continued again, playing the part from Lode Spire. When it finished playing the melody from Lode Spire, it cut off, and the blue glow faded.  
"We did it," said Sasha. "We have the third part of the melody."  
"Yes," said Kato. "And now, there are five left."  
Zain nodded. "And we'll find them too."  
Standing next to the stone, Guy heard the voice of his mother one last time. _Trust in him,_ said the voice. _Destiny may favor him, but it will also turn on him at the end. If he is to survive, he will need you, along with everyone else._  
Guy turned around and stared at Zain. "I... I do trust him..." he said.

**_To be continued..._**  



	25. Earthbound 202X Part 25

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 25: Disaster**

Karen awakened to see a man's face above her. "Good morning," he said.  
Startled, Karen bolted to her feet, putting her baseball cap back on. "Who... Who are you?" she asked. It was now morning; the sun was rising in the east.  
The last thing Karen remembered was sitting down and leaning back against a bush, thinking about Neil. She hadn't been concerned about Pokey reappearing; she had thought that she had dealt a large enough blow to his pride that he wouldn't come back for a while. After disabling her telepathy (something that was now very hard for her to do) so that the enemies couldn't track her anymore, she had closed her eyes for a minute, and then...  
The man grinned. "Don't worry, you don't have anything to fear from me," he said amiably.  
Karen stared at him. The man's blond hairstyle looked as if it had gone out of style more than several decades ago, and he was dressed in a business suit that clearly looked as if it had been bought at a secondhand store. Karen couldn't see his eyes, as they were behind a large pair of shades.  
Tilting his head, the man eyed her hat. "Where'd you find that hat?" he asked. "The last time I saw a baseball hat like that was many years ago, on a man who had a profound influence on my life. I've never seen another one like it."  
Karen blinked, surprised. She took off her hat and looked at it, and then looked at the man again. "You... You knew my father?" she asked.  
The man's jaw dropped. "Y-You mean to tell me you're Ness' kid?" he demanded.  
He took off his shades and took a closer look at Karen. "Oh, I see it now," he said. "You have his eyes. And you look a lot like him, only more... feminine."  
Shaking his head, he laughed. "Who'd have thought that I'd see some kind of light show on top of the hill, and come all the way up here to check it out, and then find Ness' kid sleeping near this meteor?" He gestured at the meteor, lodged in the ground nearby.  
_The "light show" he saw must have been my fight with Pokey,_ Karen thought to herself (she no longer humored Pokey by calling him by his new name).  
As she said this, the man kept talking. "So what are you doing all the way out here?" he asked. "No one lives up here anymore."  
Karen looked down the hill. "I came to look at my father's old house," she said. "I... I'd never seen it before."  
"Not much to see, really," said the man with a shrug. "It's abandoned now. Was that you who broke the boards over the door?"  
She gave him a sheepish nod. "I'm sorry for breaking in," she said. "But I did learn a lot of things there."  
The man grinned, brushing his hair back with his hand. "Well, don't worry, I'm not here to prosecute you," he said. "Besides, I don't think anyone else would mind you going into that place; in a few more years, it'll probably look like the one next to it."  
Karen nodded, remembering the burnt-out foundation of what used to be Pokey's house.  
As she looked at the man, Karen was tempted to turn her telepathy back on and simply read his mind to find out what he knew, but the risk of having her location known to the enemy was too great. Even though she was still in the same place, Pokey would probably think that Karen had left that area as soon as she could, so that she wouldn't be found again. _If there were only some way to cover up my mental projections,_ Karen thought to herself, _I could use my telepathy without the enemy knowing my exact location._ She had to figure out a way to do that; with her telepathy disabled, it felt as if there were a hollow space in her mind.  
"So, kid," said the man, "what's your name, anyway?"  
"Oh," said Karen, realizing that she hadn't been listening; she had almost missed his question. "I'm Karen."  
"Karen," the man repeated. "A beautiful name for a beautiful young lady. My name's Frank... Frank Fly. I used to know your father, a long time ago; he turned my life around once."  
Karen smiled at that. "From what I've heard, he's helped a lot of people."  
"Well, yeah," agreed Frank. "After all, he's one of the four people who helped save our world from that Giygas guy 30 years ago. I still remember that like it was yesterday; it was the only time I ever prayed for anything."  
He took another look at Karen. "You look like you haven't eaten in a while, Karen," he said. "How about I get you something at the local burger place? They should be open by now."  
To her surprise, Karen realized that she was starving; she felt as if she could eat an entire elephant and still have room for more. "That... sounds really good to me," she agreed.

As they walked down the hill toward the town, Karen learned some more about Frank.  
It seemed that 30 years ago, Frank had once been a bad guy, the leader of a gang called the Sharks. He had made his base behind the Onett arcade and sent his gang out to terrorize the town. For a long time, there was no stopping them, and Frank had felt invincible.  
Then Karen's father had come along, baseball bat in hand. Trouncing every member of the Sharks that stood in his way, he had challenged Frank and defeated him, making Onett a safe town once again.  
The blow to Frank's overinflated ego had left him a changed and humble man. After that, he had resolved to clean up his act and atone for what he had done.  
Today, in 202X, Frank was an assistant to Mayor Picky Minch; he was responsible for maintaining the town budget and not running up a deficit. So far, he had done a very good job, making a budget surplus each year.  
Something Karen noticed was that Frank seemed to have no knowledge of the fact that her father had died 14 years ago; he believed that Ness was still out there somewhere, helping people as he had always done. Karen saw no reason to inform him otherwise.

Finally, they reached the restaurant, and Karen ordered two hamburgers, some fries, and a soda. She actually wanted a lot more than that, but she didn't want to take advantage of Frank's generosity; it wouldn't be right.  
After they sat down, Karen said, "Thank you for buying this for me, Frank." She was glad to meet such a nice person after encountering such an evil one last night.  
"No problem," replied Frank with a grin.  
Two minutes later, Karen's food was all gone. "Wow, you must have been hungry," said Frank, impressed.  
Karen blushed. "I... I'm sorry," she said.  
"Don't be," said Frank. "You needed it. Want some more?"  
Karen shook her head. "No, I couldn't possibly ask you to--"  
Frank's grin widened. "It's not a problem, Karen. If it's my wallet you're worried about, don't be; I get paid well, and Mayor Minch always gives me a bonus out of the yearly budget surplus." His voice lowered its volume as he added, "I actually have a small fortune now, but I don't like to brag about it. That's why I wear such a cheap suit."  
So Karen had some more.

After the meal, the two of them exited the restaurant and stood on the curb for a moment. "Um, Frank," said Karen, who had been wondering about something, "what exactly were you doing late at night, that you saw what happened on the hill?"  
"Well," Frank replied, "I couldn't sleep for some reason, so I was out taking a late-night stroll. Then, I happened to look up at the hilltop, and I saw a bunch of flashes. I thought I even saw fire, once."  
Karen nodded slowly, wondering how many other people had seen her battle with Pokey. "I... I was--"  
Frank interrupted her. "No, don't tell me what you were doing, Karen," he said. "It's not any of my business."  
Then he grinned at Karen. "In any case, I've got to get to the town hall now," he said. "I have some work to do."  
"I understand," said Karen. "It was nice meeting you, Frank."  
"Same here," said Frank. "Hopefully, we'll meet again."  
Karen nodded. "I'd like that."  
Frank smiled. "Then if you ever need me for anything, anything at all, just come to the town hall and ask for me. Oh, and tell your dad, wherever he is, that I said hello."  
Karen winced at that. "I... I will."  
Frank waved and walked away, in the direction of the town hall.

Left alone, Karen walked back behind the restaurant, where no one would see her. She took off her hat and looked at it. "...Frank says hi, Dad."  
She was glad that she had met Frank. It was good to know that even though her father had had enemies in his time, he had also had friends.  
_Onett seems like a really nice town,_ she thought to herself. It was quiet and peaceful; the Madness didn't seem to have reached it yet, which was a welcome change. It was the kind of place that Karen hoped she could live in one day... After she found Neil, that is.  
But there was no time left to linger. Her friends were still in Quattro City, and she still felt bad for suddenly leaving them last night. They needed her, and it was time for her to go back to them.  
In order to do that, though, Karen needed to know where they were. It was doubtful that they were still at the hotel; knowing Zain, he would probably want to press on and reach Lode Spire. But to find them, Karen would have to use her telepathy again.  
"Well, it's a risk I'll have to take," she said. Putting her hat back on, she restored her telepathy, breaking apart the mental wall she had erected to seal it off.  
Her telepathy was a lot stronger than it had been when Karen had first discovered it. It was a simple matter to reach out across the world with her mind and find the people she was looking for. After a moment, she found them... And she found something else.  
Shocked, Karen staggered under the weight of the presence she felt. She had never felt anything so powerful. Her own power, although it was strong, was microscopic compared to this.  
"They're... They're in danger!" Karen cried. "I have to go to them!"  
Focusing on the presence of her friends, Karen activated her power. "Teleport Beta!"

As they climbed the ladder that led out of the old mine, Sasha suddenly felt a very ominous warning in the back of her mind. It seemed to press at her; the warnings she had felt before were nothing compared to this.  
She stopped climbing. "Everyone..." she called out. "Something is wrong."  
Hearing her, everybody stopped climbing as well. Zain, who was directly below her on the ladder (and managing to control his acrophobia quite well), looked up at her, concerned. "What is it, Sasha?"  
Kato and Deckard, who were ahead of everyone else on the ladder (the two of them had been growing increasingly like-minded ever since they had met last night), looked down. "Is there trouble ahead?" asked Kato.  
Sasha nodded up at them. "If we keep going up this ladder..."  
Jeff, who was the lowest on the ladder, called up, "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble is at the top?"  
"No," Sasha replied. "All I can feel is a warning... A really bad warning..."  
"I don't get it," said Deckard. "Last time, you saw the rats ahead. Why can't you see who it is this time?"  
"I don't know!" Sasha cried out; as she spoke, the warning in her mind grew larger. "I don't even know why my Premonition still works with this pseal on it!"  
Guy spoke next. "Kyla, do you believe that there are any other exits to this mine?" he asked.  
Kyla shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't know, Guy," she said. "There may be, but it would take us forever to find one."  
"I agree," said Apple Man. "Besides, there isn't anything preventing whatever's waiting for us at the top coming down to get us anyway."  
Guy took one hand off of the ladder and scratched his chin, thinking. "Then it would appear that we have a dilemma," he stated. "If we continue to ascend the ladder, we will invariably encounter whoever it is that awaits us at the surface. On the other hand, if we flee and return to the mine, we could be trapped, and our antagonist may come to find us regardless." He looked at Zain. "Zain, what do you believe we should do?"  
Zain looked down at Guy, and immediately wished he hadn't; he couldn't see the bottom of the shaft. Feeling a bit dizzy, and experiencing an ominous feeling of his own, he closed his eyes. "I... I don't know," he said. "I guess that the choice with the least unknowns would be better... Which would mean we go up and face whoever it is that's up there."  
"A good decision, Zain," said Kato. "It is always best to minimize the unknowns in a potentially dangerous situation."  
"Then that's what we'll do," Zain confirmed. "I don't like this situation, but I don't see any other feasible option."  
Sasha closed her eyes; the feeling in the back of her mind was paralyzingly frightening. "If Karen were here," she said, "she could use that strange teleportation ability she used last night to get us out of here..."  
"But she's not with us, Sasha," said Deckard. "We have to go with what we have."  
Sasha nodded. "I know..."

The group exited the mine, emerging out onto the surface.  
Even as the last of them climbed out of the hole, there was no sign of the danger that Sasha had seen. "Is there really anything here?" asked Kyla, looking around. "This alley is as empty as ever."  
"There's someone here," Deckard confirmed; his senses had picked it up as soon as he had arrived here.  
"Indeed," Kato seconded; he had felt it as well. "Two people, to be exact."  
"Then where are they?" asked Zain. He stepped forward, feeling frustrated. "Show yourselves!" he shouted.  
He was answered by a voice he had heard before. "As you wish, Zain."  
Directly in front of them, there was the sound of a pseal breaking, and Kaatz faded into view. "Invisibility Pseal," he said. "Quite useful at times."  
Zain, Sasha, and Guy stared in horror. "Y... You!" Zain shouted.  
Kaatz smirked, closing his left eye. "I'm glad to see that you remember me," he said. "It looks like you've found a Sanctuary."  
Jeff looked at Kaatz with a shocked expression. He had never been so surprised in his life, not even during the war against Giygas 30 years ago. However, no one saw him.  
"Why were you hiding from us?" asked Kato.  
"I wanted to wait until all of you were out in the open," Kaatz responded. "I didn't want my presence to scare any of you back down that hole."  
Deckard stepped forward. "And where's the other one?" he asked. "There are two of you here."  
Kaatz's smirk grew larger. "He does not wish to reveal himself yet," he answered. "For now, you will deal solely with me."  
Zain's eyes narrowed. "We'll deal with you alright," he agreed.  
Kaatz raised his only eyebrow. "Oh, really?" he asked sarcastically. "I seem to remember being a bit more than even you could handle, Zain," he said.  
Kato emulated Kaatz's gesture, raising his own eyebrow. "We have increased in strength since then," he said. "And we have also increased in number."  
"Your numbers mean nothing," Kaatz stated. "And the 'increase' in your power is negligible." He stared directly at Kato. "As a favor to you, little one, I allowed you and your group to escape before," he said. "But such a thing will not happen again."  
Kato frowned. "What do you mean, a 'favor'?" he asked.  
"It is of no consequence," said Kaatz, saying nothing further.  
His red optical sensor focused on Kyla next; it changed to yellow, scanning her. "I see," he said to himself. "So it was you who were eavesdropping at the entrance to the Stonehenge base. I knew there was someone there."  
Surprised, Kyla stepped back; at the same time, Guy stepped forward, readying his Equalizer gun. "Leave Kyla alone, fiend," he demanded. Kyla turned to look at him, surprised.  
Kaatz's optical sensor returned to its normal red color as he looked at Guy. "If I were you," he said, "I would be silent, hoping that my life wasn't about to come to an abrupt end. Someone who speaks as eloquently as you should understand that it's bad manners to interrupt in other people's conversations. Or have you already forgotten my lesson about the consequences of your actions?"  
"I do not fear you, Kaatz," Guy retorted, even though he wasn't so sure. "You... You leave Kyla alone, or I will--"  
"Or you'll do what?" said Kaatz. Without warning, he was suddenly standing in front of Guy. "What will you do?" Kaatz asked. "Here's your chance to show me."  
Bravely, Guy managed to stand his ground. He raised his gun. "I will--"  
He was cut off as Kaatz rammed his metal right fist into Guy's gut, sending him flying into the brick wall. "Guy!" cried Kyla.  
Guy stuck on the wall for a moment, and then collapsed to the ground, unconscious. "You'll get out of my way and be silent," Kaatz finished.  
Tears in her eyes, Kyla raised the Gaia Beam that Jeff had given her. Because Guy had tried to protect her, Kaatz had hurt him. "You won't get away with this!" she cried at Kaatz.  
Kaatz turned to her, and his eyes narrowed. Suddenly, he was standing behind her, drawing a pseal with his left index finger.  
"Kyla, look out!" shouted Deckard, readying his sword.  
"Kyla!" exclaimed Apple Man, bringing up his weapons.  
It was too late. Kaatz pressed his finger to the back of Kyla's neck. "Paralysis Pseal."  
Kyla suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck. The weapon fell from her hand as her entire body went numb.  
Grabbing the front of her school uniform with his right hand, Kaatz stared into Kyla's green eyes. "I'll deal with you later, eavesdropper," he said. "Until then, get out of my way." With that, he threw her limp body on top of Guy's.  
Watching Kaatz incapacitate both Guy and Kyla, Zain clenched his fists, feeling his anger rise. As it always did, his power rose as well, and his eyes turned red. "You..."  
Before Zain could attack, though, Deckard stepped in the way. So far, he had noticed something: Kaatz moved like the Abductor Mook did. Deckard knew how to handle such speed; he had done it before. "I'll stop you, whoever you are!" he shouted. Forming his stance, he began to concentrate for his ultimate attack.  
Kaatz's left eye blinked. "I don't believe I've seen you before," he said to Deckard.  
Still concentrating, Deckard said, "I'm the last thing you'll see."  
With a laugh, Kaatz retorted, "Is that so? How interesting." He folded his arms and stood there, unmoving. "Show me what you can do, then."  
Deckard was only too happy to oblige. Kaatz's left eye widened as energy began to crackle around Deckard. "How interesting indeed," he said.  
Finally, Deckard unleashed his attack. "PSI Eternal Wind Sword Alpha!" Blasting forward, he slashed over and over again at Kaatz, moving at blinding speed. _Nothing can stand against this attack,_ Deckard thought. _If this doesn't kill him, it'll at least wound him severely._  
When Deckard couldn't attack anymore, he leaned on his sword, looking at the ground. "That should take care of you," he said, breathing heavily. He looked up to see what his attack had done.  
Kaatz still stood before him, completely unharmed. "Not quite," he said.  
Deckard's jaw dropped. "It can't be!" he cried.  
"I must say, I am impressed with you," said Kaatz. "You're the only one here who has even come close to approaching my speed. I almost couldn't dodge your attacks." He smiled. "You deserve praise for your skill."  
He paused a moment, and then continued, his smile becoming a stern frown. "Having said that, there is still the matter of you attempting to kill me. It would appear that like a certain few others, you require a lesson in the consequences of your actions."  
With that, Kaatz reached inside his trenchcoat with his metal right hand, and brought forth a sword. It looked like a two-foot double-edged short sword, made out of some type of gold metal. The handle was covered with some kind of textured material for a better grip. The strangest thing about it was the blade; although the center of it was made out of the same golden metal, the edges and the point were made out of a strange green crystalline substance.  
"This is my sword," said Kaatz, brandishing it experimentally, as if he hadn't used it in a while. "It's called a Psion Blade. It was a gift to me from Master Giaguo for my loyal service."  
Deckard could only watch. Having expended all of his energy, he couldn't even move. Jeff and Apple Man looked on in horror, as did Sasha. Because of the narrow space of the alley, they couldn't move to help Deckard; if they did, Kaatz would surely counter them. Kato drew his own sword, trying to think of a plan to help Deckard. Zain stood enraged, his power filling him; he wanted to attack Kaatz with his power, but Deckard was in the way.  
Kaatz ignored the others, continuing his explanation to Deckard. "The green crystal on the edge of this blade is called psionium," he said. "It's a rare mineral found only on certain planets. Psionium is a unique mineral because any creature with the slightest hint of psychic power who touches it experiences unimaginable pain."  
Sasha suddenly got an idea. She concentrated, readying her power.  
Kaatz still continued talking to Deckard. "I will give you the honor of being the first creature in several Earth years to be struck down by this sword," he said. He raised it, to cut Deckard down.  
Deckard looked down, knowing that he was about to die. "Lexa..."  
Sasha's plan was to surround Deckard with a PSI Shield Gamma, to protect him from Kaatz's attack. However, Zain acted first.  
Surprising everyone, Zain blasted forward and punched Kaatz in the face. Completely caught off guard, Kaatz was knocked backward. The Psion Blade fell and clattered to the ground where he had previously been standing.  
Shaking his head, Kaatz rubbed his face with his left hand. "...Well done, Zain," he said. "You actually caught me off guard with that attack. Your power seems to have improved since our last encounter."  
His eyes burning red with his empathic PSI, Zain reached down and picked up the fallen sword. "I won't let you hurt my friends, Kaatz," he said angrily. "For once, someone's going to teach YOU about the consequences of YOUR actions."  
Kaatz smirked at that. "Do you think you have what it takes, Zain?" he asked. He reached inside the other side of his trenchcoat with his left hand and drew forth another Psion Blade. "Fortunately, Master Giaguo gifted me with a PAIR of Psion Blades." He flung the sword into the air and straightened out his coat. "Let's see just how much your power has improved." He reached up with his right hand and caught the spinning sword, forming a stance.  
Zain brought up the Psion Blade he had taken, holding it as if he were using his baseball bat. He looked back at the others. "Everyone else, stay out of this," he ordered, his burning red eyes accentuating his command. "This is between me and him."  
Although they looked troubled, the others nodded. "It is a duel of honor," said Kato. "I shall not interfere."  
"I can't move anyway," said Deckard, sounding extremely fatigued. "But thank you for saving me."  
Sasha looked down. "Please be careful, Zain," she said. "If anything were to happen to you..."  
"I'll be okay," Zain promised, the fire in his eyes dimming for a moment. "See if you can heal Guy and Kyla."  
Sasha nodded. "We'll do what we can."  
Zain turned back to Kaatz, and stared at him. He recalled when Kaatz had harmed his friends; when he had hurt Sasha's father and Guy. He remembered how Kaatz had tried to kill Karen. Most of all, he remembered how Kaatz was after Sasha, to capture her for his master, their ultimate enemy.  
His anger increased, threatening to overwhelm him. Zain welcomed it; it was where his power came from. As he was consumed by his rage, his body was surrounded by a blazing red aura. The air around him swirled into a spiral, affected by the intense energy. The others stared at him in shock, awed by his power.  
Kaatz smiled. _Everything is going according to plan,_ he thought, pleased. Now Master Giaguo would see firsthand the immense power potential of this boy. He reached out with his left hand and beckoned to Zain.  
Almost devoid of reason by now, Zain accepted the invitation. He dashed forward and slashed at Kaatz with the sword... But Kaatz was no longer there.  
Zain's red eyes blinked, confused. But then, he suddenly felt danger behind him. Whirling around, he used the sword to block Kaatz's attack.  
"Well done, Zain," said Kaatz, as if he were teaching the youth how to wield the sword. "Your speed has greatly increased because you've allowed your empathic PSI to flood your body. But it is still not enough to match my speed. You'll have to do better."  
Zain's only reply was a snarl as he became even angrier. The burning red aura around him became even larger and more prominent.  
"Yes," said Kaatz, pleased. "Let go of all your inhibitions, Zain. Show me your full power!"  
Zain answered him with a primal roar, his red eyes glowing hotter than two suns. From where she was tending to Guy and Kyla, Sasha stared at him. _It's almost as if... he's lost his humanity..._ she thought.  
Kaatz's smile widened. He could feel the raw energy that Zain was giving off; it was the strongest force that he had felt in a long time, aside from the power of the master. Although he had been afraid of this power before, Kaatz now had a better idea of what he was dealing with. He did not feel that he was in any danger.  
Zain suddenly attacked again, thrusting the sword with all his might. This time, even Kaatz was not fast enough to dodge it; the only thing he could do was parry with his own weapon. Even then, it was nearly not enough; Zain's thrust narrowly missed piercing Kaatz's body. Seeing that his attack had not worked, Zain blinked, almost as if he couldn't believe that the attack had been stopped.  
Kaatz used the opportunity to counterattack. He moved his sword away and made a thrust of his own. Sensing the danger, Zain bent over backwards, allowing Kaatz's sword to pass over him; he then rolled to the side and struck at Kaatz again.  
But Kaatz had anticipated this, and he blocked the attack. He was starting to understand how Zain worked when under the influence of his power.  
Empathic PSI, Kaatz had learned, was actually a less-evolved form of the standard psychic ability that existed today. If a race in the universe possessed PSI, it had usually developed empathic PSI first. In the case of the planet Earth, it had developed in the prehistoric era, before humanity had evolved into its current state... Before humanity had possessed the ability to reason. Empathic PSI operated on raw instinct and emotion, something that Earth's first humans had had in abundance.  
But when humanity had evolved into a greater life-form capable of higher brain functions, so had PSI evolved. Instead of emotion, PSI became powered by the concentrated mental energy that could only be produced by the brains of higher beings. This form of PSI was more orderly and rational than its empathic ancestor.  
It was rare for a member of most races in the universe to have PSI at all... But occasionally, there would be stories of extremely rare beings who possessed, for some unknown reason, the original, primeval form of PSI... Beings such as Zain. And those who ended up on the receiving end of that power came to understand that while the current version of PSI was less chaotic than its devolved counterpart, it also gave up a lot of its sheer strength and destructive force.  
Kaatz's musings were interrupted by another attack from Zain; this time, the boy darted forward and slashed in a wide arc. Kaatz copied the dodge that Zain had just performed, bending backward so that the blade would pass over him. After it passed, Kaatz somersaulted backward, returning to his feet.  
_This is truly getting interesting,_ thought Kaatz. Enhanced by his power, Zain was now nearly as fast as Kaatz was. A little more, and Zain would actually surpass him.  
_But why does he only attack me with the sword?_ Kaatz wondered. _Why hasn't he used his power to strike at me?_ The boy had never hesitated to unleash his power in their last encounter; he had even wiped out Starmen Elite with it.  
Then Kaatz glanced over his shoulder, and he had the answer: Zain's friends were in the way. If Zain were to unleash his power, the others would most likely be harmed as well. It appeared that Zain had not entirely lost his reason, that he was not completely ruled by his power... He was still able to distinguish friend from foe, and he was making sure that his friends weren't harmed. _He's holding back,_ Kaatz realized, somewhat disappointed. _This isn't his full power at all._  
He wondered how far Zain would actually go to protect them when the boy was ruled by anger like this. Kaatz stretched his left hand out at Deckard. _This one had been about to receive my punishment anyway,_ he thought, drawing a pseal. "Inferno Pseal!"  
Deckard, surprised by the sudden attack on him, didn't have the strength left to move out of the way. He watched as the pseal flew at him; in his current state, he probably wouldn't survive it.  
Suddenly Zain was standing in front of Deckard. His red eyes narrowing, he reached out with his free hand and caught the pseal. Then, to Kaatz's surprise, Zain clenched his hand into a fist, crushing the pseal.  
"You monster," Zain accused Kaatz, his voice sounding eerily distorted. "This was supposed to be between you and me, Kaatz! Why did you attack Deckard, who couldn't even fight back? WHY?"  
Kaatz's only reply was a smirk. _So, he'll definitely go out of his way to protect them,_ Kaatz thought.  
Zain wiped the smirk right off of Kaatz's face with his next action. Kaatz's left eye widened as Zain began to draw the Inferno Pseal with his left hand. _It can't be!_ he thought, astonished.  
Zain finished drawing the pseal, and it remaining hanging in the air, attached to his finger. "C... Can he really...?" said Kaatz falteringly.  
"INFERNO PSEAL!" Zain shouted, actually throwing the pseal. Kaatz threw himself out of the way as it flew past him. It struck a wall and exploded in a colossal burst of flame.  
On the ground, Kaatz stared at the effect of Zain's attack. Not only had Zain somehow copied Kaatz's Inferno Pseal, he had also made it much stronger than Kaatz had ever been able to.  
_It can't be,_ thought Kaatz. It had taken him years to master the art of pseals. It wasn't something that could be mastered in a single moment. It was true that Zain had shown promise in it, and that he could probably have learned how to do it, but it should have taken him years to do so.  
Suddenly Zain was standing above Kaatz, pointing the Psion Blade at him. "It's over, fiend!" he said. He thrust downward with the sword, to impale Kaatz in the ground.  
_So then, this is how it ends for me,_ Kaatz thought. For some reason, he didn't feel frightened or sad at all. _Maybe it's what I deserve after all I've done..._  
But the sword never struck him. Instead, it was deflected off of an invisible shield. Zain's angry expression became one of confusion. _Oh, that's right,_ Kaatz thought. In the heat of the battle, he had completely forgotten that he had not come here alone.  
A voice spoke out, echoing throughout the entire alley. "That is quite enough." Suddenly, Zain was thrown backward, away from Kaatz and into the wall, where he collapsed to the ground. Kaatz slowly rose to his feet.  
Everyone stared as another figure materialized in front of them. It was a handsome man in a regal-looking black cloak. His hair and facial hair were brown, and his eyes were strangely deep black. In all, he looked like a king.  
"Who are you?" asked Kato.  
But Sasha saw right through his disguise, and she knew exactly who he was: someone whom she had hoped she would never see. Her blood ran cold with terror. "No... The... The dark one..."  
Kato heard her, and he stared at the newcomer in a new light. "So then, you must be... Giaguo, the mastermind behind this new invasion... And the Madness," he said.  
The man nodded. "Indeed I am," he said.  
Kato could feel the power of Giaguo's mind; it was oppressively powerful, threatening to overwhelm them all. "You... do not appear to be an alien," he said.  
"This form is not my true form," said Giaguo. "I merely borrowed it so that I could come here..." His black eyes fixed on Sasha. "So that I could finally find that which I most desire at last."  
Sasha could not move, petrified by fear. She remembered her dream, in which this person--the dark one--claimed her. The memory frightened her even more.  
Then Zain was there, standing in front of her. He raised the Psion Blade at Giaguo, his power still burning with his anger. "You won't touch her," he declared.  
Giaguo smiled. "Indeed, I do have business with you first, Zain," he stated. Even Zain couldn't help but be unnerved by Giaguo's smile; there was something inhuman about it.  
Kato stepped forward, unsheathing his sword. "Why do you continue to invade this planet?" he demanded. "Is it not clear that you will never crush the spirit of humanity? Giygas tried to do so, and he failed! And you will fail as well!"  
Giaguo's smile became a smirk. "Ah yes, Giygas-12162203616-630," he said. "The only Giygas that was ever defeated."  
Jeff blinked in surprise. "Wh... What do you mean, 'the only'?"  
Giaguo looked at him, and then his black eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh, that's right," he said. "You are one of the four who were responsible for the downfall of Giygas-12162203616-630."  
Apple Man frowned. "Why do you keep adding that number to the end of Giygas' name?" he asked.  
The alien laughed. "Well, I suppose I might as well tell you," he said. He straightened out his cloak. "You have heard Giygas-12162203616-630 be referred to as 'the devil's machine,' correct?"  
Jeff nodded. "Pokey called him 'the devil's machine' at the final battle," he said.  
Giaguo nodded, still smirking. "'Giygas' is a word in the ancient language of my race that means 'devil'," he explained. "And it is called the 'devil's machine' because that is exactly what it is: a machine."  
Zain started in surprise, some of his anger fading. "A... A machine?" he repeated.  
"That is correct," affirmed Giaguo. "The Giygas machine is a machine developed by my people for one purpose: the purpose of conquest."  
Then the alien stared at Jeff. "The Giygas machine that you somehow defeated was, in fact, Giygas machine number 630," he said. "Number 630 out of approximately 750 such machines."  
Everybody froze in shock. "It... It can't be!" cried Jeff. "You can't mean that there are 750 more of Giygas out there!"  
"I assure you, there are," said Giaguo. "And my people manufacture at least one more every one of our orbital cycles, which means that at least one new Giygas machine is built every 3.14 of your planet's years."  
Jeff could not speak any further; he was too astonished and horrified.  
Giaguo continued. "My people manufacture the Giygas machines to take care of the arduous task of conquering other planets," he explained. "Without them, it would take about three of my kind to take over a planet, and it would take longer."  
"But why do you have to take over other people's worlds?" demanded Zain.  
"Because we can," replied Giaguo. "Because it is my people's right as the superior race of the universe. And because we have been exercising that right for thousands of your years."  
Nobody spoke as they absorbed this horrible information.  
"Enough talk," said Giaguo. "I have reasons for coming here." Then his black eyes stared directly at Zain. "First of all," he continued, "I have an offer for you, Zain."  
"An offer...?" Zain repeated, his power rising up again. "What are you talking about?"  
Giaguo smiled. "I had Kaatz battle with you so that I could observe your power," he explained. "Now that I have seen firsthand the power of an empathic psychic, I believe that that power would be a welcome addition to my own forces." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "I offer you the chance to join me, Zain. To join me and become part of the great conquerors of the universe. Join me, Zain; with you and Kaatz at my side, we will force our enemies to submit to us!"  
Zain was horrified at the prospect of such a thing. "No way, Giaguo!" he shouted. "What you're doing is wrong! And I'll never betray my friends, or my world!"  
"So be it," said Giaguo. "I gave you the chance of aiding me willingly, and you refused. Now, I shall have to implement the other plan." He turned to Kaatz. "Kaatz... Do it."  
Kaatz nodded. "As you wish, Master Giaguo."  
Suddenly, Kaatz was standing in front of Zain. Before Zain could react, Kaatz pressed the index finger of his left hand to Zain's forehead. "Empathic Pseal."  
The tip of Kaatz's finger suddenly shone brilliantly. Zain felt a terrible burning sensation on his forehead, and then he felt pain, the likes of which he had never felt before. The pain consumed his entire body, and it felt as if something was driving straight through his mind. He screamed in agony.  
"No!" cried Sasha. She ran over to him. "Zain, no!"  
But Zain could not hear her. As the terrible pain flooded throughout his body, his red eyes suddenly faded back to their normal green color... and closed. The Psion Blade fell from his limp hand, and he began to fall as well.  
Sasha caught him. "Zain!" she cried. "Zain, wake up! Zain!"  
Then she saw it. On Zain's forehead, there was now a pseal, just like her own. But the pseal on Zain's forehead was in the shape of a lowercase Greek letter epsilon.  
Tears in her eyes, Sasha looked up at Kaatz. "What did you do to him?" she demanded. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?"  
Kaatz folded his arms. "I merely ensured that he will no longer get in Master Giaguo's way," he stated.  
Kato picked up the Psion Blade that Zain had dropped in his free hand, wielding the Sword of Kings in his other hand. "You will pay for this!" he shouted, lunging at Kaatz with both swords.  
Caught off guard, Kaatz blocked the Sword of Kings with his own weapon, but he could not parry Kato's other attack. The Psion Blade pierced Kaatz's shoulder.  
Suddenly, Kaatz was wracked with unimaginable pain himself as the psionium in the sword reacted with his PSI. He fell to his knees and screamed in pain; it felt as if every one of his nerves was on fire.  
"Enough of this," said Giaguo. He looked at Kato, and the young boy was thrown off of Kaatz. Kato managed to keep his grip on the Psion Blade, and it was pulled out of Kaatz's body.  
Giaguo smiled. "Now that Zain has been taken care of, it is time to fulfill my other reason for coming here." He stepped toward Sasha.  
Still holding Zain's limp body, Sasha froze in fear again as the dark form from her dream approached her. She knew that there was nothing she could do to stop him.  
Just then, there was a bright flash, and Karen appeared between them. She looked different; she was now wearing a baseball cap on her head.  
"Hmmph," said Giaguo. "It would appear that Pokey has failed again."  
After quickly assessing her surroundings, Karen pointed her finger at Giaguo, and to the alien's surprise, her eyes turned red with the power of empathic PSI. "PSI Beam Gamma!"  
The psychic beam struck Giaguo in the chest, and he was thrown backward. "M... Master Giaguo!" exclaimed Kaatz.  
Jeff stepped up to Karen; there was little time. "Karen, can you teleport all of us out of here?" he asked. "It's our only chance."  
Karen looked at him and nodded. "I think so," she replied.  
"Then take us all to any safe place you can think of!" said Jeff.  
Karen nodded, and focused on all of their presences, making sure that she would include them in the teleport. Meanwhile, Giaguo rose to his feet, completely unharmed by Karen's attack. "You... You cannot escape me!" he shouted.  
"Teleport Beta!" cried Karen. All of them, except for Giaguo and Kaatz, were swept up, spinning into a large whirlwind, and then they disappeared in a flash of light.

Giaguo stared at the place where they had all been. He was furious; the girl with Premonition had been right in front of him, within his grasp, and then she had been whisked away from him. He felt like an Earth cat that had pounced at a string that had been offered to him, only to find that the string had been pulled away.  
He turned to Kaatz. "These Chosen Eight seem to have a remarkable amount of luck," he stated.  
"That they do," agreed Kaatz. He felt his wound where Kato had stabbed him; he would have to get it treated back at the mothership. Something that bothered him more than the wound was the fact that his enemies had taken one of his Psion Blades. "But their luck will run out soon."  
Giaguo raised an eyebrow. "So then, you were able to correctly perform the pseal?"  
"I was," Kaatz answered. "Its more... insidious effects will not appear until later on, but when they do... Zain will be yours. And when he is, it will be as I told you before, Master Giaguo... He will hand over the girl to you himself."  
The alien smiled. "Good," he said. "Then let us return to the mothership and have your wound repaired, Kaatz. And then, we will bide our time and allow our other forces to continue the conquest of this planet. As for the Chosen Eight, it is only a matter of time until, as you said, their luck runs out."

**_To be continued..._**  



	26. Earthbound 202X Part 26

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 26: Regroup**

When Guy awoke, he found himself in a strange place; he was lying on a cot.  
_Where am I?_ he wondered. It looked like a laboratory of some type. _Perhaps... Perhaps it's Jeff's lab, where he and Kyla's father live?_ Then he blinked. _Kyla...? Kyla!_  
He sat up suddenly, ignoring the sharp pain he suddenly felt in his ribs. "Kyla!" he cried. "Where is Kyla?"  
"Calm down, Guy," said Jeff, who was sitting in a chair next to him. "Kyla's fine."  
"I'm okay, Guy," seconded Kyla herself, who was also sitting next to him. "It's yourself you need to be worrying about; Kaatz really hurt you."  
Guy looked at her and sighed with relief. "As long as you are well," he said. He felt his ribcage; the sudden pain made him jerk his hand away.  
"Be careful when you move, Guy," Jeff admonished. "Kaatz's punch broke a few of your ribs, and you also took a beating from that wall you flew into. Kato and Sasha put you back together as well as they could, but their healing PSI could only do so much. You're going to be sore there for a while."  
"I... see..." said Guy. He checked his glasses to make sure they were in one piece; amazingly, they were.  
He looked over at Kyla. "Kyla... Kaatz did not harm you, did he?"  
"I'm okay," Kyla repeated. "He paralyzed me with some kind of pseal, though. It was awful, Guy... I could see and hear what was going on, but I couldn't move at all. But Karen managed to take it off, so I'm okay."  
Guy blinked. "Karen?" he said. "Karen came back?"  
Jeff nodded. "Just in the nick of time, too," he said. "If she hadn't shown up just then, it would have been over for all of us."  
He proceeded to explain to Guy about Giaguo's appearance in Quattro City. When he finished, he said, "So you see, Guy, Giaguo would have had all of us, especially Sasha, if Karen hadn't suddenly appeared and caught him off guard."  
Guy nodded. "I understand," he said.  
He carefully tried to stand up, and managed to do so, although he didn't feel very confident. Once he was on his feet, he looked around. "Where... Where are the others?" he asked.  
Kyla answered him. "Deckard and Kato are standing guard outside," she said. "Karen took Dad back to Quattro City to get the Phase Distorter III back. Sasha is upstairs, with Zain. Zain is..." She trailed off.  
"What is it?" asked Guy. "What is the matter with Zain?"

"He won't wake up," said Sasha.  
"What has happened to him?" asked Guy. He was leaning on Kyla for support, since he found it hard to walk with his injuries.  
"I don't know," replied Sasha sadly. "Kaatz did something to him with a pseal, and he passed out. I haven't been able to wake him up since." She looked at the strange pseal on Zain's forehead. "I tried healing him, I tried shaking him, and I even tried pouring water on him..."  
"We even tried putting him in the Instant Revitalizing Device," Jeff added. "Nothing works."  
Guy looked at Kyla. "Karen was able to remove the paralyzing pseal from you, correct?"  
Kyla nodded. "Yes, she broke it with her empathic PSI."  
Guy pointed to the pseal on Zain's forehead. "Then why did she not simply break that one as well?"  
"She couldn't do it," Jeff replied. "She tried, but she couldn't do it. She told us that the pseal was too close to his mind; if she were to break it, it could kill him."  
"But there has to be some way to wake him up!" said Sasha. "There has to be!" She looked as if she were on the verge of crying. "There just has to be..."  
Just then, a bright flash came from downstairs. A moment later, they heard Apple Man's voice from below. "Jeff! Jeff, you need to see this!"  
"Just a moment!" Jeff called back. He turned to the others. "We'd better go and see what he wants."  
"Agreed," said Guy. "But what about Zain?"  
Jeff looked over at Zain's unconscious form. "Well..."  
Sasha looked up at them. "All of you can go," she said. "I'll stay here with him."  
Jeff nodded. "Okay. Let us know if his condition changes."

Downstairs, they found Apple Man and Karen waiting for them with the Phase Distorter III. Seeing Guy, Karen smiled. "Guy, I'm glad you're awake!" she said.  
Still being supported by Kyla, Guy returned the smile. "It... is good to see you again, Karen," he replied. Noting her hat, he added, "That hat suits you."  
"Really?" Karen asked. She took it off and looked at it. "It was my father's..."  
Apple Man stepped forward. "I don't mean to interrupt, but..."  
"What is it, Dad?" asked Kyla. "What's the matter?"  
Apple Man looked at Jeff. "Jeff, it's the Phase Distorter III," he explained. "When Karen and I found it, I checked it out to make sure that no one had tampered with it while we were gone. And then I found it."  
"Found what, Apple Man?" asked Jeff.  
"It's the Zexonyte," Apple Man answered. "It's begun to develop impurities."  
"WHAT?" Jeff blurted out. "That can't be!"  
"It is!" replied Apple Man. He opened a panel in the side of the machine's hull. "Look at it!"  
Everyone looked. Inside the panel, there was a small rock housed in a bracket, with various wires and probes connected to it. It was giving off a pulsing red light... Except in certain places, where dark, black spots had begun to appear on it.  
"What is this, Dad?" asked Kyla.  
Apple Man looked at her. "This is called Zexonyte, Kyla," he explained. "It's an extremely rare mineral." He pointed to it. "It's this mineral, Zexonyte, that makes the Phase Distorter system possible." Then he looked at Jeff. "See those black spots throughout the stone?" he asked.  
Jeff nodded. "Those shouldn't be there," he said.  
"Those are the impurities," stated Apple Man. "They're even larger than they were before I brought the Phase Distorter III back here. The impurities are expanding every time we use the machine."  
Jeff scrutinized the stone, adjusting his glasses. "So, when these impurities completely cover the stone..."  
Apple Man finished for him. "...The Phase Distorter III will become inoperable."  
Jeff sighed. "When did this start to happen?" he asked. "I just looked at the Zexonyte last week, and it was completely fine then."  
Kyla's father shrugged. "I don't know exactly when," he said. "But I do know that it was recent. And the impurities are growing larger exponentially."  
Guy nodded, understanding. "So then," he said, "this means that the Phase Distorter III cannot be used much longer."  
"Exactly, Guy," said Apple Man. "We can only use it about three or four more times before we completely lose the Zexonyte."  
Kyla leaned in close to the stone, examining it. "Isn't there any way we can use the machine without the Zexonyte?" she asked.  
Jeff shook his head. "No, there isn't," he answered. "Believe me; I should know. I tried to use the original Phase Distorter without Zexonyte once, and it wasn't an experience I'd care to repeat."  
He sighed again, staring at the rock. "I guess it's only to be expected..." he said. "After all, I've been using this machine for the past 30 years. It was foolish to believe that the Zexonyte would last forever; in fact, I'm surprised that this didn't start to happen sooner."  
Kyla looked at Jeff, then at her father. "Dad, Jeff, isn't there anything that we can do about it?" she asked. "There must be something, right?"  
"There is," replied Apple Man. "We have to get more Zexonyte."  
Karen, who had been listening, joined in the conversation. "Where can we find it?" she asked.  
Apple Man turned to her. "Unfortunately, the Zexonyte mineral does not exist naturally on this planet," he explained.  
Guy blinked. "Then how did you manage to obtain this one?" he asked, pointing at the rock.  
Jeff turned away from the Zexonyte rock and faced everyone. "Zexonyte is sometimes found in certain meteorites," he said. "This particular sample was extracted from a meteorite on top of a hill in Onett."  
Karen's eyes lit up. "The meteor that my father saw, 30 years ago!" she exclaimed. "I saw it!"  
"You saw it, Karen?" said Guy. "That is wonderful news! We can simply go and extract another sample of Zexonyte from it!"  
Jeff shook his head. "Actually, that's not the case," he said sheepishly. "After we defeated Giygas--" He stopped, and then looked away, as Giaguo's words came back. "After we defeated the Giygas machine that was sent to our planet, my father traveled to Onett and extracted the rest of the Zexonyte from the meteor there, to use in various experiments. The remaining samples were consumed in those experiments; there are none left."  
"Then what can we do?" asked Kyla.  
Once again, Karen came up with the answer. "What about Zain's meteor, the one he saw back in Primera?" she suggested. "If it's the same kind as the one my father saw, then wouldn't it have some Zexonyte too?"  
Jeff smacked his forehead. "I must be a moron," he said in self-reproachment. "I'd completely forgotten about that one, and I've seen it!" He turned to Karen. "Zain's meteor looked very similar to Ness' one. It's quite possible that it too could have Zexonyte in it."  
"If that is the case," said Guy, "we can travel to Primera and extract Zexonyte from the meteor."  
Apple Man shook his head. "It's not that simple," he said. "We're in Winters right now. We're nowhere near Hawkland, and I don't think it's feasible to use the Phase Distorter III right now."  
"I can teleport to Primera," Karen offered.  
"Have you ever been there?" asked Jeff.  
Karen shook her head.  
"Then you can't teleport there," Jeff informed her. "That's the main limitation of PSI teleportation, Karen: you can only teleport to a place you've been to before. The only reason you were able to bring us here is because your parents brought you here as a baby."  
Karen paused, taking in this information. After thinking for a moment, she proposed another idea. "What if I teleported to Duplora, and went to Primera another way from there?" she asked.  
"No," Jeff replied, shaking his head negatively. "You could do that, but it would take quite some time... Time we may not have." He stopped, as if he had not meant to say this much; but since he had, he continued. "This... This laboratory isn't very far from Stonehenge, and I don't believe we're very safe here; that's why Kato and Deckard are keeping watch outside. If something happens, we'll need you to get us out quickly, Karen. You're the only one who can teleport, so we need you to stay here."  
Karen nodded slowly. "Okay, I understand."  
Guy looked at Jeff and Apple Man. "But what shall we do, then?" he asked. "We cannot merely sit here. There is still much we have to accomplish, such as the acquisition of the other five Sanctuaries."  
Kyla nodded in agreement, backing Guy up. "And if it might be dangerous to stay here, then why are we staying here?" she added. "We shouldn't be staying near Stonehenge with Zain and Sasha!"  
Jeff sighed and slumped over. As Guy watched, he suddenly noticed how tired and exhausted Jeff looked. _He looks as if something troubles him greatly,_ Guy thought to himself. He realized that Jeff had been hiding this, pretending that everything was fine.  
"I know, Guy," Jeff finally responded. "I know. It's just... I didn't want to move Zain again until he wakes up, or at least until we know what's wrong with him." He looked around the lab. "Also, there are a lot of devices here that we could use, and I wanted to try and pack some of them to take with us. Kyla, her father and I worked on fixing them for about a week, and I really don't want all our work to go to waste."  
Kyla nodded. "...We did spend a lot of time on them," she admitted. "But we know that Giaguo and Kaatz planned to use Stonehenge again." She herself had discovered that. "They may already be using it again. If they find out that Zain and Sasha are here, then..."  
Apple Man, who had not spoken for a while, interrupted. "But likewise, they might not be using it yet, Kyla," he reminded her. He looked at everyone else. "The problem is, we don't know; during the week when the three of us worked on the machines, we never went back to look again."  
Guy thought of something. "Perhaps you could use the laboratory's global scanning equipment to see whether or not they are using it again?"  
"We could," agreed Apple Man. "But the enemy has more advanced technology; if we scan Stonehenge, someone will probably notice."  
Guy sighed in frustration; it seemed that no matter what any one of them suggested, it was either unfeasible or too dangerous. "There must be SOMETHING we can accomplish!" he exclaimed, exasperated. "Perhaps if one of us traveled to Stonehenge to check on it?"  
Jeff turned to him, looking increasingly more worn out. "But whoever goes to check will be put into even more danger," he said.  
Karen put her hands on her hips. "But Guy's right, Jeff," she said. "We have to do SOMETHING!"  
Suddenly a voice spoke out from behind Guy and Kyla. "I can go and check," said Kato.  
Caught by surprise, everyone turned to him. The door to the lab stood open, and Kato and Deckard stood in the doorway; outside, it was dark out, and snow was falling. In their discussion, no one had even heard the two of them come in.  
Sensing Jeff and Apple Man's unspoken question, Kato spoke again. "It is safe outside the laboratory, for now," he said. "Neither Deckard nor myself perceived anything amiss. I can go to Stonehenge and find out what we want to know."  
Jeff shook his head. "It's too dangerous..."  
"I will not be caught," stated Kato, as if it were the only possible outcome. "I will return promptly, in under an hour." He turned and went back out the door, disappearing into the night.  
Deckard stared in the direction he had gone, and then turned back to the others. "I'll keep watching outside, in case something happens," he said. He went back outside, closing the door behind him.  
Kyla looked at the door. "Aren't they even cold out there?" she wondered.  
Karen shrugged. "Their training probably lets them endure the elements better than we do," she supposed.  
Jeff sighed. "I hope Kato will be okay..." he said.  
Reaching into the Phase Distorter III, Apple Man got out his toolbox and opened it up. "I guess the only thing we can do is wait for him to come back. In the meantime, I'll try and find out what's causing the Zexonyte to develop impurities," he said. He opened a panel next to the Zexonyte chamber and started poking around in it with the tools.  
Jeff looked at him. "Okay, Apple Man," he said. "I... I think I'm going to sit down for a while." He walked over to the other side of the lab and sat down in an armchair, slumping over in exhaustion.  
"Something's wrong with him," said Karen, looking at Jeff.  
Guy nodded in agreement. "He seems to be greatly troubled by something. Perhaps we should find out what it is."

They walked over to where Jeff was sitting. "Jeff, what is the matter?" asked Guy. "You have not been yourself lately."  
Looking up at them, Jeff shook his head. "It's... It's nothing that you need to bother yourselves with," he told them.  
"Hiding your problems only makes them worse," said Kyla. "Please, tell us what's wrong."  
Jeff slumped down further in the chair. After a long pause, he said, "...It's Giygas."  
"Giygas?" Karen repeated.  
Jeff took off his glasses and closed his eyes. "Thirty years ago, Ness, Paula, Poo, and myself went up against Giygas," he said. "After everything that the four of us had been through together, we were finally at the final showdown. Everything that happened before had been leading up to that battle."  
He paused to look at them. The three youths stared back at him, listening intently.  
Putting his glasses back on and pushing them into place with the tip of his finger, he continued. "Everything we had, we brought to bear against Giygas, to free our world from his evil influence. Each of the four of us gave our all, fighting for ourselves, for each other, for everyone else in the world, and for everything we believed in."  
As Jeff spoke, Guy wondered what it must have been like, to face such a terrible enemy. _Surely, it must have been a horrific battle,_ he thought to himself.  
Guessing Guy's unspoken questions, Jeff looked him right in the eye. "Facing Giygas... Is a truly terrible ordeal," he described. "It's like facing the worst nightmare of... everything. As if all of the evil in the world, in the universe itself, had gathered right in front of you." To Guy, Kyla, and Karen's surprise, he actually shuddered at the memory.  
Kyla shuddered as well, from the thought of what Jeff had gone through. "How did you defeat such a thing?" she asked. "How could anyone stand up to that?"  
"It wasn't easy," admitted Jeff. "In fact, we came perilously close to NOT winning. Despite all of our power, Giygas was far stronger than anything we could ever hope to attain. Even Ness, with the power of his eight Sanctuaries, was nothing compared to Giygas."  
"Then how did you win?" asked Karen.  
"In the end, it was your mother," Jeff answered. "Giygas simply kept attacking us in a strange method that I've still never been able to understand. Both Poo and I had exhausted all of our energy, and we could barely do anything else but watch. Ness was holding on, but even he wouldn't have lasted much longer; Giygas' attacks were too powerful. His energy nearly spent, he put all of his efforts into guarding Paula."  
"But what did my mother do?" Karen asked impatiently.  
"She had nothing left to fight Giygas with either," Jeff continued. "The only reason she hadn't been incapacitated like Poo and I was because Ness, out of his love for her, was protecting her from the full force of Giygas' attacks. With our doom upon us and nothing left, your mother prayed."  
"Prayed?" Karen repeated, confused.  
Jeff nodded in confirmation. "She prayed. It was a last, desperate call for help, from anyone, against the nightmare that was about to destroy us." He smiled suddenly, remembering what happened next. "The strange thing was, people heard her."  
Guy blinked. "Heard her? How could that be?"  
"I'm still not entirely sure," said Jeff. "My hypothesis is that in her prayer, Paula performed the most powerful act of telepathy ever witnessed. If that is correct, then with her telepathy, she reached across space and time itself and somehow contacted people. From what we learned after returning home, everyone who heard Paula felt an undeniable urge to pray in return... And if my hypothesis is correct, their prayers and desires were sent back to Paula through her telepathy."  
Karen suddenly remembered what Frank Fly had told her during her brief visit to Onett: "I still remember that like it was yesterday; it was the only time I ever prayed for anything." _So that's why..._ Karen thought, amazed. _I wonder if... if I could ever do something like that? After all, I inherited my own telepathy from her..._  
"In any case," said Jeff, "everyone's prayers came back to us. And then something even stranger happened: the force of their desire actually damaged Giygas. The combined power of everyone's prayers harmed Giygas far worse than anything the four of us had done."  
Jeff paused and looked at Karen. "Your mother kept praying, and each time, someone else's prayer came back. And each time it did, Giygas was damaged even worse. But even this strange, unbelievable phenomenon was not enough to defeat Giygas."  
"Even with everyone praying for you?" Kyla repeated. "Then how did you finally defeat Giygas?"  
"Eventually, Paula ran out of people to pray to," said Jeff. "Everyone had helped us, but it still wasn't enough to defeat Giygas. Paula tried to pray again, but no one answered her. So in a final, desperate call for help, Paula called out for someone, ANYONE, to help us. And in that final prayer... Someone answered."  
"Who?" asked Karen. "Who answered her?"  
Jeff shrugged. "I honestly don't know. But whoever, or whatever, it was, it was far more powerful than anything any of us had ever felt before... Perhaps even more powerful than Giygas himself. The presence of its prayer was so strong that all four of us, not just Paula, could feel it. And when this prayer came back to us... Giygas was literally torn apart by its force."  
Guy folded his arms, thinking. "So that is how Giygas was vanquished," he said.  
"Yes," said Jeff. "Alone, we would have never survived, but with the help of others, we somehow prevailed."  
He slumped back in the chair again. "I told you this because I wanted you to know how truly horrible Giygas was," he explained. "So that you would understand the way I feel right now."  
Karen did indeed understand. "It's because of what we learned from Giaguo," she said.  
Jeff nodded. "When I learned that Giygas, the worst nightmare that this world has ever seen, was nothing more than a machine, created by Giaguo's people, and that there are over 700 more of him somewhere out there in the universe... It makes what we did thirty years ago seem insignificant."  
"But it wasn't insignificant!" Karen exclaimed. "Because of you, and Poo, and my parents, Giaguo's people don't rule this world!"  
Jeff shrugged. "But what difference does that make? What's stopping them from sending another Giygas? Or more than one? I doubt we have the power to stop another Giygas, let alone two or three of him."  
Guy shook his head. "That is not a valid reason to give up, Jeff," he stated. "You cannot simply quit because the odds are against you. If you had, then the four of you would never have defeated a Giygas machine in the first place."  
"Guy's right," Kyla agreed. "Besides, don't you remember the other thing Giaguo said? He said that the Giygas who came here is the only one who was ever defeated. Out of so many races that Giaguo's people must have conquered, ours is the only one who successfully fought back!" She spread her arms, appealing to Jeff. "Doesn't that count for something?"  
Jeff stared at Kyla, and then his gaze moved to Guy, and then to Karen. "...You three... are a lot better than I am," he finally said, shaking his head and smiling. "You're absolutely right. I used to think like you do, a long time ago... I guess I let old age catch up with me."  
He stood up, getting out of the chair. "You're right," he repeated. "It's precisely because we never gave up that we beat Giygas thirty years ago." He grinned at them. "When people get older, they start to believe that there are limits to what a person can do... But when you're young, you believe that nothing is impossible. And that's the reason why I devoted my life to science: to make the impossible happen. I can't believe I lost sight of that."  
"It's okay," said Kyla. "After all, you can't always believe in the impossible without motivation from people who believe in you."  
Jeff nodded. "Again, you're right," he said.  
Guy beamed; it looked like they were back in business. "So, what shall we do now?" he asked.  
There was no hesitation in Jeff's answer this time. "We have to find the rest of the Sanctuaries," he said emphatically. "But first, we have to do something to help Zain."  
"Indeed we do," Guy agreed. "Zain is our friend; we must do everything we can to help him."  
"Right," Jeff agreed. He looked at Karen. "Karen, are you sure you can't do anything about that strange pseal on Zain?"  
Karen shook her head. "I looked at it for an instant using my telepathy," she said. "It's different than the one that was on Kyla. The pseal that was on Kyla did nothing other than block her mind's connection with the body, paralyzing her." She looked at Zain. "Zain's pseal is much more closely entwined with his mind."  
Guy put his hand to his chin, thinking. "Entwined?" he repeated. "What do you mean by that, Karen?"  
"Well..." Karen thought, trying to think of how to explain it. "Well, we all know that Zain is an empathic psychic, right?"  
They all nodded back at her. "Right," said Kyla. "Just like you, now."  
"That's right," said Karen, although she still didn't know how she had acquired that kind of power. "Well, as an empathic psychic, Zain's PSI is fueled by his emotions; the use of it is as natural and instinctive to him as breathing."  
She paused a moment, to make sure that they understood all of that. Seeing that they had, she continued. "From what I've learned through my telepathy, Zain's mind is wrapped in a protective, shifting aura, which protects it from outside influence. I don't think Zain even knows about it."  
"I see," said Guy thoughtfully. "It must be an instinctive protection that he manifests subconsciously, through his PSI."  
Karen nodded. "Anyway, the pseal that Kaatz put on Zain looks like it was specifically created to attack emotion," she explained. "When I looked at Zain's mind through my telepathy... His mind was completely covered with... black. There was nothing there but black. I couldn't see anything, not even Zain's emotional barrier."  
"Is that why he won't wake up?" asked Kyla. "Is the pseal keeping him unconscious?"  
"It must be," Karen answered. "The only problem is, I don't know if that's all it's doing to him. I couldn't tell, even with my telepathy. The pseal could be doing something even worse to his mind as we speak, but I just don't know..."  
Jeff looked at her. "And you're sure you can't remove it?" he asked.  
Shaking her head, Karen replied, "No, I can remove it," she said. "It might be a little harder than Kyla's, but I could probably use my empathic PSI to remove it. But the pseal is affecting his mind too closely; if I break the pseal, it could break Zain's mind as well. If that didn't kill him, it would turn him into a permanent vegetable."  
Guy sighed. "So then, we do not have very many options at our disposal," he said. "But there must exist a safe way to remove it."  
"Well, Kaatz could probably do it, since he's the one who put it on Zain in the first place," said Karen. "But that's probably not going to happen."  
"But there must be some other way..." said Kyla.  
Jeff thought it over for a while. "...I guess... I guess we're just going to have to ask someone about it," he said. "Someone who probably knows more than we do about things like this. And, I think I have someone in mind..."  
Before Jeff could say who, the door to the lab opened, and Kato entered, followed by Deckard. "Jeff!" Kato called. On the other side of the room, Apple Man looked up from his work, startled.  
Jeff turned to Kato. "What is it, Kato?" he asked.  
Kato came over to them. "It's not good," he said. "There is activity at Stonehenge. The aliens have apparently resumed their operations there, and I believe that they are preparing to launch an assault on this place."  
"An assault?" exclaimed Karen. "Did they find us?"  
Jeff shook his head. "I doubt they found us," he said. "But they know that I live here, and Giaguo and Kaatz both saw me with you. They're probably going to attack just to tie up a loose end." He sighed. "It's my fault. We should never have stayed here this long."  
"It is not your fault, Jeff," Kato replied. "But what are we to do now?"  
Jeff folded his arms. "We have to leave."

**_To be continued..._**  



	27. Earthbound 202X Part 27

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 27: Escape**

"How much time do we have before the aliens arrive?" asked Apple Man.  
Kato thought about it. "When I discovered the enemy forces mobilizing, I returned here as swiftly as possible. If I were to estimate, I would say that we have approximately thirty minutes to escape before their arrival."  
"Then here's the plan," said Jeff. "We have to get out of here before the aliens come, which means we have to clear out within a half hour." He looked at all of them. "The first priority is to make sure that all of us escape safely. Beyond that, we should try to salvage what we can of the machines here; we may need them later."  
Guy nodded. "What machines are we able to take, Jeff?" he asked.  
"Above all, we cannot lose the Phase Distorter III," Jeff stated. "Even though it means that the Zexonyte impurities will expand, we have no choice; we'll have to use it again, to get it away from here."  
"What else?" asked Kyla.  
Apple Man looked at her. "Well, we can't take the Instant Revitalizing Device," he said. "It's too big. So is the Sky Runner." He turned to Jeff. "I'll gather up the small machines I've made over the years."  
"Okay," said Jeff. "I'm going to use our half hour to run a scan and look for other Sanctuary locations, and I'll put the results on a handheld device. This may be our only chance to use the lab's scanning equipment, so we can't waste it."  
"I'll help you," said Kyla. "If we work together, we can probably finish the scan faster."  
Guy looked at them. "What shall I do?" he asked.  
Jeff thought for a moment. "You should pick up all of the weapons you can find lying around here, Guy," he said. "As well as any parts you think you might be able to use. You're good with weapons, so you might be able to build something."  
Guy nodded. "I understand." He walked off to collect parts.  
Kato checked his sword, making sure it could be easily drawn forth. "I will go outside and check on the enemy, in case they arrive early," he said. "I will return within twenty minutes." Without waiting for a response, he left the lab, walking out into the snow.  
Jeff looked at Deckard and Karen, the only ones who had not been assigned a task. "Deckard and Karen, go upstairs and help Sasha bring Zain down," he said.  
"Sure thing," agreed Deckard. He and Karen went upstairs.  
With that, Jeff turned to Kyla. "Let's get this scan done," he said. Kyla nodded, and they walked over to the main computer.

In the upstairs room, Sasha knelt on the floor, looking at Zain's prone form next to her.  
She had taken his goggles off, placing them nearby. His eyes were closed, and he did nothing but lay there. It was difficult to tell whether or not he was even breathing. And that strange pseal, the lowercase epsilon, still glared at her from his forehead...  
Over the past week, Sasha had grown closer and closer to Zain as they had traveled together. And now that he was incapacitated, Sasha missed him terribly.  
She missed his determined nature. She missed his insatiable appetite. She missed the sound of his voice. She missed looking into his green eyes and finding nothing but kindness reflected in them...  
Stifling a sob, Sasha closed her eyes. A tear fell, landing on Zain's cheek; there was no reaction at all from him. "Zain..." said Sasha, wishing he could hear her. "Zain, please wake up..."  
As usual, there was no response. Sasha sighed and sat down next to him, drawing her legs up and hugging her knees to her chest. She looked over at Zain again. "I don't think I've ever really told you," she said softly, "but, in this journey, I've come as far as I have because of you, Zain. So you see, if you don't wake up... I'll be lost..."  
Still there was no reaction. _If only I had Zain's or Karen's empathic PSI..._ Sasha thought miserably. _Zain can do anything. He's saved all of us so many times..._  
Sasha slumped over, resting her head on her knees. "I can't do anything..." she said. "For all the PSI I have... I can't do anything for him. And if I can't even help my friend, then... What good am I?"  
Just then, Deckard and Karen came up the stairs. "Sasha, there's trouble," said Karen urgently.  
Sasha looked up at them blankly. "What is it...?" she asked.  
"Giaguo's forces from Stonehenge are on their way here," explained Deckard. "We only have about a half hour to get out of here before they show up!"  
Sasha blinked as what Deckard said sank in. "They... They're coming?" She stood up in shock. "They know we're here?"  
Deckard shook his head. "Jeff didn't think they knew," he replied. "He thinks they're coming just to take care of a loose end. After all, Giaguo and Kaatz both saw him with us."  
Karen nodded. "But it doesn't matter even if they do know... We still have to leave," she said. "Hurry, we have to carry Zain downstairs!"  
They went over to Zain's body and prepared to pick him up. Grabbing Zain by his feet, Karen looked up at Sasha. "Has there been any change in his condition?" she asked.  
Sasha shook her head forlornly. "No..."  
Karen looked at the floor. She understood what Sasha was going through. Karen knew that Sasha cared for Zain the way she herself cared for Neil. _To lose the one you care about most... It's horrible..._ Karen thought. Only in Sasha's case, instead of being whisked away, Zain was still here... And there was nothing that any of them could do for him.  
She looked up at Sasha. "Sasha, believe me, I know how you feel right now," she said. "But there's no time to feel sorry for ourselves. If the enemy finds us here... They'll take you and Zain away, and Giaguo will get you both. We have to focus, and make sure we escape from here with our lives. If we can do that, then there will be time to find a way to help Zain afterward."  
Deckard looked up at Karen, impressed. Just like Karen, he too had lost someone, and what Karen said made a lot of sense to him. "I couldn't have said it better myself," he praised.  
Sasha closed her eyes, and slowly nodded. "...You're right," she said. "Let's go."

Kyla sat down at the keyboard. She looked up at Jeff. "How do we search for the Sanctuaries, Jeff?" she asked. "This equipment detects and measures energy. How do we use it to find the Sanctuaries?"  
Jeff looked at the screen, on which a map of the world was displayed. "Well, years ago, my father discovered that a Sanctuary emits an abnormally high amount of energy," he explained. "He was never able to determine why this happens, or where the energy comes from, but they give off energy. All we have to do is tell the scanning equipment to search for abnormally high amounts of energy in a relatively small spot."  
"Okay." Kyla typed in some commands on the keyboard, and looked up at the screen. In the bottom lefthand corner of the screen, the word "SEARCHING" began blinking on and off.  
She turned to Jeff. "How long will the search take?" she asked.  
Jeff shrugged. "I don't know for sure. This is the first time I've used this equipment; after all, we only just fixed it a few days ago." He glanced at the screen. "We're running the scan globally, so that will probably take some time. I just don't know how long; it could be fifteen minutes, it could be an hour."  
Kyla frowned. "But we don't have an hour."  
"I know that," Jeff replied, sighing in disgust. "This is all my fault. If I'd actually run the scan earlier instead of moping around, we'd have this done by now."  
Kyla shook her head. "There's nothing we can do about that now. Let's just hope it finishes soon."  
A dot suddenly appeared on the map. "There's one!" Kyla cried out.  
Jeff looked at it. "Zoom in on it," he said.  
Kyla entered the command, and the map zoomed in on the dot. "Display all of the data on that region," said Jeff.  
"This should do it," said Kyla, typing in the command. A myriad of text information appeared on the screen, but Jeff only saw the word "Primera," which was displayed next to the dot.  
He sighed. "Well, it looks like we've found Lumina Pillar," he said. "The only problem is, Zain and Sasha already found it."  
Just then, Karen, Deckard, and Sasha came down the stairs, carrying Zain between them. Jeff turned to look at them. "Put him in the Phase Distorter III," he said. "When we go, we'll take him that way."  
Between the three of them, Karen, Deckard and Sasha managed to get Zain into one of the machine's four seats. Meanwhile, another dot appeared on the screen. "Jeff, we found another one!" Kyla exclaimed.  
"Great!" said Jeff. "We'll look at it later, once we're out of here."  
Karen came over to them and looked at the screen. "Where are we going to go?" she asked.  
Jeff thought about it. "...Twoson," he replied.  
"Twoson?" repeated Karen. "Why there?"  
Overhearing them, Apple Man turned to them from where he was picking up various objects and nodded in agreement. "Good idea, Jeff. My house is there, and so is some of my equipment."  
"That's what I was thinking of," Jeff revealed. "There might be something we can use. And even if there isn't, we can at least try to regroup in Twoson."  
This time, Guy overheard them, and he was overcome by a sense of dread. He came over, holding various parts in his hand. "Twoson?" he repeated. "But that is where my father resides! He possesses the largest amount of security there! If they discover me..."  
"Relax," Jeff told him. "You'll be okay. I know the main headquarters of Orange Enterprises is there, but we don't have any reason to go near it. And Orangeman Orangere has no reason to suspect that you'll be nearby. Even if he finds out that you're not in Troisemburg anymore, I doubt he'll expect you to turn up right near him."  
Guy looked away, not entirely convinced. "If... If you say so..."  
Apple Man interrupted them. "Sorry to butt in, but it's not exactly safe here. Giaguo's forces will arrive here soon!"  
"That's right," Deckard agreed. "We can talk about all this later, after we get away." He looked at Kyla. "How is the scan coming?"  
Kyla looked at the screen again, which now displayed three dots on the map. "We've located three Sanctuaries so far," she said. "But one of them is Lumina Pillar, Sasha's Sanctuary."  
Sasha looked away... And froze, as a vision suddenly entered her mind. She turned back to the others, her eyes glassy and dull. "They... They're coming!" she cried, panicking at a sight that only she could see. "They're here!"  
Karen walked over to her. "Snap out of it, Sasha!" she ordered.  
Her voice brought Sasha out of her reverie, and the glassy look in her eyes faded. "...Sorry," she said. "I... I saw the future. They're not far away..." She looked at Jeff. "There's hundreds of them. Hundreds of those Starman robots..."  
Jeff sighed. "I guess that means we probably don't have a half hour after all," he said.  
At that moment, the door opened, and Kato stumbled in. He was wounded in several places; blood ran down his face from a cut in his head, and he was using his sword for balance as he walked.  
"Kato!" Deckard cried. "What happened to you?"  
Kato looked at everyone and managed a grim smile. "I must... apologize," he said. "It seems that... That my estimate of the time we had left was... mistaken." He coughed up some blood. "And the enemy is... smarter than I gave them credit for. They found me..."  
Sasha moved over and placed a hand on Kato. "Lifeup Beta!" Under Sasha's power, most of Kato's wounds healed; however, the dried blood was still visible all over him.  
"You have my thanks, Sasha," said Kato gratefully, his voice more steady. "With my injuries, I was too dazed, and unable to concentrate enough energy to heal myself."  
Sasha nodded back. "You're welcome, Kato," she said.  
Kato turned to Jeff. "The enemy consists primarily of the Starman machines, which compose their front lines. Behind them, there are some strange creatures that I assume are aliens. They have two eyestalks with a third eye on their bodies, and their bodies are covered with many tentacles."  
Jeff knew what Kato was talking about, but so did Deckard; he clenched his fists angrily at the memory of Lexa's kidnapper. "Mooks..." said Jeff and Deckard simultaneously.  
"It seems that you know of them already," said Kato. "There are also other machines: spherical ones with mechanical tentacles."  
This time, only Jeff knew what Kato was describing. "Those are Octobots," he explained. "If those have been sent out, then we really are in trouble." He looked at Kato. "Kato, about how many enemies are there?"  
"Hundreds," Kato replied. "Perhaps even a thousand. When I was discovered, I managed to destroy some of them, but they overpowered me. It was through sheer luck that I managed to return alive."  
"How far away are they?" asked Apple Man.  
Kato looked at the door, troubled. "They will arrive at any moment now," he answered grimly.  
Jeff's eyes narrowed. "Then we need to get out of here NOW." He started walking over to the Phase Distorter III.  
Kyla called after him. "But what about the scan?" she asked. "We have to finish it!"  
Jeff looked back at her. "I don't think that's going to be an option now," he answered.  
Karen shook her head. "We have to finish that scan. It may be our only chance to learn where the other Sanctuaries are." She walked over to the door and went outside. "I'll try to fend off the enemies until it's done."  
Deckard drew his sword and followed her. "I'll help."  
"I will assist also," Kato declared, even though he was injured. He went outside as well.  
Jeff wasn't sure, but he acquiesced to their decision. "Alright then," he said. He looked back at the screen, which now displayed four dots. "Four more to go; if they can hold off the enemy long enough, we might finish this." He looked at Kyla. "But in case something goes wrong, have your weapon ready, Kyla. We may have to fight."  
Kyla nodded in response. "Okay." She brought out the Gaia Beam and set it next to the keyboard.  
Next, Jeff turned to Apple Man. "Apple Man, you just get out of here. Use the Phase Distorter III and take Zain to your house in Twoson. We have to make sure that the enemy doesn't get him."  
Apple Man nodded, somewhat relieved; he wasn't much of a fighter. "Okay, Jeff," he said.  
Jeff looked at Sasha. "Sasha, I don't know why, but Giaguo is specifically after you. You should go with Apple Man to Twoson now, so that they don't find you here."  
Sasha nodded in agreement, still remembering how Giaguo had tried to take her back in Quattro City. "Okay." She got into the Phase Distorter III and sat down next to Zain.  
Finally, Jeff turned to Guy. "Guy, what are you going to do?" he asked. "You can go with Apple Man now, or you can wait with us."  
Guy glanced at Kyla. "I will wait here with you," he replied. "If the enemy manages to break into the laboratory, then you will need an extra person to fend them off."  
"Alright then," said Jeff. He looked at Apple Man. "See you later, Apple Man. Don't try to come back for us, even if we're late."  
Apple Man shook his head. "I can't promise that, Jeff. But I'll see you later."  
He climbed into the Phase Distorter III. A moment later, it disappeared in a flash of light.  
Jeff, Guy, and Kyla looked at the screen; no new dots had appeared on the map since the fourth one. "I hope Karen, Deckard, and Kato will be okay," said Kyla.

Karen, Kato, and Deckard stood outside in the snow, waiting for the enemy to appear. "Looks like it'll be three of us against hundreds of them," Deckard remarked.  
"It's not exactly fair," Karen agreed. She smiled at Deckard and Kato. "The odds are against them."  
Kato grinned at that. "I hope that you maintain this optimism five minutes from now."  
As they looked over the snowy plains, the enemy began to show up. "There!" Deckard pointed out. "Starmen!"  
As the robots trudged closer, Karen saw that they were the Starman Elite models that Kaatz had had with him in Troisemburg. She looked at her companions. "Are you two ready for this?" she asked.  
"We are warriors," Kato answered. "We are as ready as we will ever be."  
"Good," said Karen. Reaching out, she manifested her psychic sword and took hold of it.  
Deckard stared at her in surprise. "Nice trick," he commented.  
"Thanks," Karen replied. She looked at both of them. "Why don't we give them a little surprise?" she asked.  
Deckard shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

Meanwhile, the Starmen took notice of the three humans as they approached. "Lifeforms identified as Target Priority Three, Anomaly-S1, and Code 'Dalaam-Alpha,'" said one of them in its mechanical voice.  
Another one spoke. "Target Priority Three and Code 'Dalaam-Alpha' are to be captured alive if possible," it said. "Anomaly-S1 is to be terminated at all cost."  
A third one looked at the laboratory. "The structure is not to be destroyed," it said. "Once we have removed resistance, we are to perform a systematic search of the structure for Target Priority One or Target Priority Zero."  
"Target Priority Zero is expected to be incapacitated," said another. "Resistance is not expected from him--"  
Most of the Starmen were silenced permanently as they exploded under the stress of a powerful starburst attack.  
From where he was standing, Kato lowered his hand. "I believe that I destroyed about twenty of them with that," he said.  
"My turn," said Deckard, concentrating. Since the last battle with Kaatz, he had devised a new attack that he wanted to try. _Time to see if it works,_ he thought. "PSI Chain-Lightning Alpha!"  
Karen and Kato stared at Deckard in surprise as a gigantic bolt of lightning burst from his hand and struck the nearest Starman. From that Starman, the bolt jumped to another, and then to another, and so on, until finally twenty-five Starmen fell, electrocuted.  
"Nice one," Karen praised.  
Deckard shrugged. "I thought the regular Thunder attack was kind of limited," he said. "I didn't see why this wouldn't work, so I decided to try it."  
"Well, now it's my turn," said Karen, "and I have a new attack of my own to try out." Her eyes turned red with the power of empathic PSI. "PSI Pyro-Tower Alpha!"  
Deckard and Kato looked on as a giant tower of flame suddenly exploded into being in the middle of the Starmen, sending the enemies flying in every direction. Next, the tower grew spikes of fire on all sides, and began to spin around the area, blasting more Starmen.  
"Wow," said Deckard in awe.  
When the fire tower finally dissipated, at least fifty of the Starmen had been destroyed. The snow around the area had melted, revealing scorched ground underneath. Even Karen was surprised at the destruction she had caused. "I didn't know it would be THAT powerful," she remarked.  
"It's probably your empathic PSI," Deckard suggested. "That attack looked almost as strong as Zain's Hyperion attack."  
Karen blinked. "Really?"  
Kato laughed. "Perhaps we can hold our ground after all."  
His newfound optimism was shattered when one of the remaining Starmen spoke. "The resistance possesses powerful PSI techniques," it said. "Activate psychic power shields."  
Suddenly, every one of the remaining Starmen was temporarily enveloped in a blue aura, which faded out.  
Kato looked on in disgust. "Psychic power shields," he said in disgust. "Now, any PSI we use against them will be reflected back at us."  
Karen sighed. "As long as they have those shields, this thing is useless," she said. She dispelled her psychic sword.  
"It is?" asked Deckard.  
Karen nodded; she had discovered this during her fight with Pokey. "That sword is an extension of my PSI; it's made of my psychic energy. So anything that blocks PSI will block it as well."  
At that moment, to their dismay, the Mooks and the Octobots appeared. Deckard noted that although the Mooks were a different color than the Abductor Mook that he had fought in Summers, they looked almost exactly the same. The Octobots were as Kato had described them; metal spheres with mechanical tenacles attached.  
In all, there were hundreds of enemies lined up before them. "This could be bad," said Karen.  
"Yeah," Deckard agreed. "I've fought a Mook before, and just one was trouble; I almost didn't beat it. There's no way we can take on a whole army of them, let alone the Starmen and the Octobots."  
Kato looked back at the lab behind them. "I am not one to shy away from battle," he said, "but seeing what we are now facing, I believe it would be in our best interests to make an expeditious retreat."  
"You're right, Kato," conceded Karen, although she didn't like admitting it. "I just hope that we bought Jeff and Kyla enough time to finish the scan."  
They turned around and hurried back into the lab.

Jeff, Guy, and Kyla stood near each other, eyes glued to the screen. There were now seven dots on it. "Just one more to go..." said Jeff. "Come on..."  
At that moment, the door burst open, and Karen, Kato, and Deckard came back inside. "We held them off for as long as we could," said Deckard. "But there's just too many of them. They're going to be here at any moment now."  
Jeff sighed. "Alright," he said. "We found seven of the Sanctuaries, but three of them are the ones that you've already found. There's still one missing, but I guess we don't have time to look for it."  
He picked up a small device and opened it up; it looked like a miniature computer. "I'll download the search results to this handheld device," he explained, using a wire to connect it to the main computer.  
"Hurry!" Karen prodded. "We don't have much time left!"  
As she said that, all of them could now hear the enemies approaching. In another moment, the Starmen, Mooks, and Octobots would be upon them.  
"Done," said Jeff, disconnecting the wire. He closed the device and handed it to Kyla. "Hold onto this, Kyla."  
Kyla took the device and put it into her backpack. Just then, the first Starman entered the lab, tearing the door off of its hinges. It raised its arms at them, and its arms began glowing.  
Guy drew his Equalizer pistol and shot the Starman. A hole appeared in its chest, and it fell to the ground, its limbs waving wildly. "We must leave here now!" Guy shouted.  
"Right!" said Jeff. "Karen, you know where to go! Get us out of here!"  
Karen nodded. She focused on Twoson; somehow, she knew that she had been there before. Then she focused on her friends, making sure that they would be teleported with her.  
"Teleport Beta!" All of them were suddenly swept up into a large whirlwind and disappeared in a flash of light, just as the other Starmen burst into the laboratory.

They reappeared in front of a small house. The house was old and had clearly fallen into disrepair. The Phase Distorter III sat outside.  
Apple Man was waiting for them on the doorstep. He ran down and hugged Kyla. "Thank goodness you're safe," he said. He looked around at the others. "All of you."  
Deckard grinned. "It was a tight spot," he said, "but we made it out okay."  
Kyla nodded in agreement. "But we only found seven of the Sanctuaries," she said. "We weren't able to find the last one."  
"That's alright," said Apple Man. "What matters is that you're all safe."  
"Exactly," Jeff agreed.  
Karen looked at Jeff. "Will we be safe now?" she asked.  
Jeff nodded. "I think we're out of danger. They have no way of knowing where we've gone." He looked at the house. "Let's go inside. We'll rest for a while, and then we'll figure out what to do next."  
Apple Man looked at all of them. "I haven't been home in quite a long time," he said, "so it's a bit messy in there. Just so you know."  
They all went inside.

**_To be continued..._**  



	28. Earthbound 202X Part 28

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 28: To the Desert**

"A bit messy" didn't BEGIN to cover the state of Apple Man's house.  
Kyla looked around the house's single room, eyes wide in astonishment. She had never seen her father's house before. From what Apple Man had told her, he and Kyla's mother, Nana Quinn, had moved into an apartment together in Fourside, the large city to the east of Twoson. After Kyla's mother passed away, Apple Man took Kyla and moved to Jeff's laboratory in Winters instead of returning to his old home.  
The room was so tiny that it felt crowded with everyone in it. The floor was covered with various, random bits of machinery and other junk. Discarded blueprints littered the table in one corner, and the chair nearby was covered with scattered notes. In another corner, a stack of science books had been thrown into a pile, while the bookshelf that was supposed to hold them stood empty. In the third corner, there was an old garbage can with nothing in it. Everything in the house was covered with a layer of dust.  
Kyla looked for a bed, but there was no bed in sight. Instead, her mouth opened in surprise as her eyes locked on a park bench that sat against the wall. Most of the dust had been brushed off of it, and Zain now lay on it, still unconscious. Sasha sat on the floor next to the bench.  
As the others walked off and found places to sit in the room, Kyla turned to her father, her green eyes staring at him, not knowing what to think. Apple Man noticed, and he looked away shamefully. "Yeah... This is how I used to live, Kyla," he said. "I used to be really poor. It was through sheer luck that I had a house to live in." He looked around the room. "After your mother died, I couldn't bear to try and raise you in a place like this, but the only place I could go was Jeff's lab... And then I couldn't raise you anyway." He sighed and turned away from her, hanging his head. "I must be the world's worst father..."  
Kyla shook her head. "No, you're not, Dad," she told him. "You always did what you thought was best for me; there are a lot of fathers who can't say that about their children." She walked around Apple Man and faced him. "I don't care how much money you have, or how you lived." She smiled at him. "The only thing that matters is that you loved me enough to do what you thought was right." Kyla hugged him. "I love you, Dad."  
Apple Man hugged her back, and Kyla could tell that he was doing his hardest to keep from crying. "Oh, Kyla..." he said. "Those words make me richer than any amount of money ever would."

"So here's the deal," said Jeff. Everyone was facing him, listening to what he had to say. "Before we had to escape the lab, we managed to find seven of the Sanctuaries with the scanning equipment. The problem is, three of those seven were the ones that we've already found: Lumina Pillar, the Tranquil Zone, and Lode Spire. This means that there's still one more out there, and we have no idea where it is."  
Kato, who sat cross-legged in front of Jeff, spoke up. "That is fine," he said. "We can worry about the final Sanctuary when the time comes. In the meantime, we should focus our efforts on finding the four whose location we DO know."  
From where she sat next to Zain's body, Sasha interrupted. "The Sanctuaries can wait," she declared. "First, we have to find a way to help Zain."  
"I concur," Guy agreed. "Not only is he our friend, he is also our leader. He requires our help."  
Karen looked at Jeff. "Jeff, before we had to leave your lab, you said you knew someone who might be able to help Zain," she recalled. "Who were you talking about?"  
Jeff sat back and adjusted his glasses. "Oh, that's right," he remembered. "In all the commotion, I'd completely forgotten."  
He looked at all of them. "30 years ago, during our journey, we ended up in Fourside after crossing the Dusty Dunes Desert. It was before we met Poo. While we were in Fourside, Paula was abducted by the servants of Giygas, leaving only Ness and myself."  
Jeff sighed. "I'm not going to go into everything that happened during that time, but eventually, during our search for Paula, we met a man named Talah Rama. He was extraordinarily wise, and he knew all kinds of things. It was because of his help that we were finally able to find Paula again and continue our journey."  
Sasha leaned forward excitedly. "So he might be able to help Zain?" she asked.  
Jeff shrugged. "I can't say for certain," he replied. "In fact, I don't even know if Talah Rama is still alive; he was an old man 30 years ago. But he's the only one I can think of who might be able to help us now." His gaze shifted to Kato. "The only other person I can think of is the Star Master, whom Poo studied under, but I wouldn't know where to even BEGIN looking for him, even if HE'S still alive."  
Kato nodded. "The old man who raised me sometimes spoke of the Star Master," he said. "It is said that he was the first to master the power of the Starstorm, which he taught to my father. But I know nothing of how to find him either; from what I was told, the Star Master appears when he chooses to."  
Jeff smiled slightly, remembering. "He certainly did."  
Sasha stood up. "If Talah Rama might be able to help Zain, then we have to talk to him," she stated. "Where can we find him, Jeff?"  
Jeff looked at her. "30 years ago, he lived in an underground cave in the Dusty Dunes Desert, to the east of here," he answered. "If he's still alive, and if he hasn't moved since then, that's where you'll find him."  
"Then that's where I'm going," said Sasha decisively.  
Guy stood up with her. "I shall accompany you, Sasha," he said.  
"Me too," Kyla said, standing up as well.  
Everyone else started to stand up, but then Kato spoke. "It is true that we must help Zain, but it is also true that we must continue to acquire the Sanctuaries," he explained. "I suggest that we split into two groups. One group will take Zain to find Talah Rama, while the other group will seek out the next Sanctuary."  
Everybody looked at him. "...That's actually not a bad idea," said Apple Man.  
Karen, however, was not thrilled by the prospect. "What are you talking about?" she asked Kato. "Every Sanctuary we've been to has been guarded by a powerful monster! If we split up, we won't have our full strength to fight those monsters!"  
Deckard answered her. "I think we can beat those monsters," he said. "We've been growing stronger with every battle. We're already stronger than we were at the last Sanctuary we visited." He turned to Jeff. "My only question is, who would form each group?"  
"That's simple enough," Jeff replied. "Those of you who have already found their Sanctuaries would take Zain to Talah Rama, and the others, who still have yet to find their Sanctuaries, would go to the next Sanctuary. That would split us in half."  
Karen still wasn't convinced. "That doesn't guarantee that the next Sanctuary is for one of that group, though," she reminded them. "There's only seven of us; the next Sanctuary could be for the eighth member whom we haven't found yet." She looked at Zain's body. "Or it could be for Zain, even. Without them, going to the next Sanctuary might all be for nothing."  
Kato was getting tired of this argument, which someone seemed to bring up every time. "Karen, it was you yourself who told everyone before that we cannot afford to hesitate," he snapped sharply. "As we sit in this house arguing, Giaguo comes closer and closer to achieving his goals. I, for one, do not intend to allow that." He looked at everyone. "Now, our topmost priorities are to find some way to help Zain, and to acquire the remaining Sanctuaries. It will be fastest and most efficient to do both at once."  
Karen averted her eyes, stung by the truth of Kato's words. Back in Troisemburg, she had scolded everyone for being uncertain, and now she was being a hypocrite. "...You're right, Kato," she finally answered. "We're going to have to split up."  
"Very well," said Kato. "I am going to mostly follow Jeff's recommendations on who should be in each group. However, the group that continues to search for the Sanctuaries will be in greater danger, so that group should be larger." He looked around at everyone. "Therefore, the group that continues to search for the Sanctuaries will consist of: Karen, Deckard, Kyla, and Guy."  
Nobody seemed to have a problem with this, so Kato turned to Sasha. "Sasha, you and I will take Zain and seek out Talah Rama," he stated.  
Sasha nodded slowly. "Okay."  
Jeff looked at Kato in a new light. The boy was only 12 years old, but he had confidently stepped forward to fill the position of leadership that had been left vacant by Zain. _He will make a good emperor someday,_ Jeff thought, _just like his father before him._  
Standing up, Jeff looked at Apple Man, then at everyone else. "Apple Man and I are going to stay here," he said. "Since we lost our lab in Winters, this house will be our temporary base of operations."  
"That is a wise choice," Kato agreed. "It will be good for us to have a place to come back to, should we encounter any trouble."  
"Exactly," said Jeff. He turned to Kyla. "Kyla, where is the Sanctuary that's closest to here?"  
"I'll find out," replied Kyla. She took out the device with the Sanctuary locations on it and looked for a moment, browsing the map. "...It's... It's near Fourside," she announced. "There's a small island just off the southeastern coast of Fourside. The Sanctuary is there."  
Apple Man blinked, surprised. "Near Fourside?" he repeated. "One of the old Sanctuaries was in Fourside... Magnet Hill, I believe."  
Jeff nodded. "That was the one," he confirmed. "We had to go through an old sewer to find it." He scratched his chin, musing. "It's strange that two Sanctuaries would be so close to one another, but then again, I guess there's no rule stating that they HAVE to be far apart from each other."  
Karen closed her eyes, trying to remember if she had ever been in Fourside. After searching her memory, she discovered that she hadn't. "I can't teleport to Fourside," she told them. "I've never been there."  
"That's no problem," said Apple Man. "It should be a cinch to drive there."  
"With what?" asked Deckard. "We don't exactly have any vehicles, other than the Phase Distorter III. And we probably don't want to use THAT, if it's going to break down soon."  
Jeff shook his head. "Transportation's no problem. The Greyhand bus line runs from this town to Fourside."  
"Well, that may be fine for us, but what about Kato and Sasha?" said Deckard, presenting another problem. "If they get on the bus with Zain's body, there's bound to be a few questions."  
"Look, no one has to take the bus," Apple Man cut in. "I have a vehicle we can use."  
Everyone turned to look at him.

"I didn't know you had a van, Dad," said Kyla from where she was sitting in the front passenger seat.  
Apple Man, from behind the wheel, grinned sheepishly. "I bought it when your mother and I got married," he said. He decided to leave out the fact that he was only able to buy it thanks to an ample wedding gift from Jeff. "We thought we'd need it for all of the kids--" He cut off and looked at Kyla. "Well... You know what happened after that."  
Kyla nodded, and her father continued. "Anyway, I couldn't take it with me to Jeff's lab, because there aren't any roads to drive it on out there. So I left it back at my house in Twoson."  
Kyla looked at the old-fashioned instrument cluster and dashboard; a layer of dust covered most of the interior. "It looks kind of old," she commented.  
"It is," her father confirmed. "This van was manufactured back in 199X; I bought it used. I think it's considered a classic now."  
Guy, who was sitting directly behind Apple Man and had been listening, spoke up. "It is a marvel that this vehicle still operates," he remarked. "Especially if you have allowed it to remain in one place, unused, for sixteen years."  
"Well, it's not that much of a marvel, Guy," Apple Man replied. "About once every few months, I would take the Phase Distorter III and go back to Twoson, and I'd work on it. You know, give it a tune-up, drive it around a bit, change the oil..."  
Deckard grinned. "Well, at least it solved most of our problems," he said, feeling in high spirits.  
"I'll say," Karen agreed; she was sharing the seat with Deckard and Guy.  
Looking at Karen, Deckard said, "Actually, this is the first time in a while that we've been able to go somewhere without being flung around in a tornado."  
Karen elbowed him. "Don't get used to it, Deckard," she warned, trying hard not to smile. "Once we find the Sanctuary, we'll be teleporting back to Jeff in Twoson."  
Deckard groaned jokingly. "Aw, crap..."  
In the back of the van, Kato and Sasha sat with Zain propped up between them. Even though the others were in a good mood, Sasha was unable to share it. She could not be happy... Not as long as Zain was trapped in unconsciousness.  
Kato noticed the somber look on her face. "Do not worry, Sasha," he said. "We will help him, one way or another."  
Sasha nodded slowly. She turned to check on Zain... And then she suddenly realized something. "Kato... Why did you want to come with me to help Zain?" she asked. "You have another reason besides wanting to help him, don't you?."  
Surprised, Kato turned and met her sky-blue gaze. "...Your intuition is uncanny, Sasha," he said, folding his arms. "You are correct; though I want to help Zain as much as you do, I do have... ulterior motives, if you will."  
Seeing her unspoken request to elaborate, Kato went on. "Recently, I have... seen things," he said. "Things that continue to trouble me greatly. If the sage Talah Rama still exists, I wish to speak with him about these things."  
"What sort of things, Kato?" asked Sasha.  
Kato shook his head, remembering the vision he had seen at the Tranquil Zone. "They are of a personal nature. I would rather not speak of them."  
Sasha nodded. "I understand." She sighed. "You know, it's strange... You're only 12 years old, but sometimes you sound older than my dad."  
Kato shrugged. "Dalaam is not a place for children," he said. "In my country, the young mature early, that they may take their place in life."  
Sasha tried to envision what it must have been like for him. "It must be hard," she said. "Having to grow up so fast. Don't you wish sometimes that you could just be a normal kid?"  
At this, Kato turned to her and raised an eyebrow; his stare radiated more ice than Sasha's PSI could ever produce. "Sasha, my culture's definition of 'normal' is far different from yours," he said coldly. "My people do things differently, and we are stronger for it. Even at your current age, there is no way that you would have passed the test of pain, as I have--"  
He cut off, realizing that he had said too much; the training of Mu was not a thing to be discussed with people who were not of Dalaam. But not only that; he had also allowed his pride to get the better of him. _It was for but a moment, but I forgot the teachings of Mu,_ he thought in self-reproach. _To forget such a lesson is inexcusable._  
But even before Kato's rebuttal, Sasha had realized what she had said. "I'm sorry, Kato," she said. "That didn't come out right at all. I'm sorry if I offended you."  
"I accept your apology," said Kato. "I am at fault as well. For a moment, I allowed my pride to control me, and I apologize for that."  
Back in the middle seat, Deckard looked out the window of the van as it entered a tunnel, and everything went dark. When the van finally emerged from a tunnel, they were in a town. "What town is this?" asked Deckard. "Is this Fourside?"  
"No, it is not," Guy replied. "We have just arrived in Threed, which lies between Twoson and Fourside."  
"So how much longer will it be until we get to Fourside?" asked Karen.  
Apple Man answered her. "Quite a while, I'm afraid," he said. "After we pass through Threed, we have to drive through the mountains, and then we have to pass through the Dusty Dunes Desert." He glanced at the back of the van. "That's where Kato and Sasha will get off with Zain. After we get through the desert, there's a long bridge, and then we'll finally be in Fourside."  
Karen sighed. "Ugh, that's going to take forever," she lamented.  
"Yeah, you have it so rough," Deckard mocked. "Just because you can't teleport somewhere for once."  
Guy looked at Deckard. "We cannot insult Karen's teleportation ability," he reprimanded. "It is the only reason why we are still here, rather than being dead or prisoners of Giaguo."  
Deckard sighed. "Yeah, you're right," he conceded.  
As they talked and joked, Apple Man looked at the town around him as he drove through it. Twoson had changed a lot over the years because of the rise of Orange Enterprises, but Threed remained mostly unaltered since the events of 199X. It was simply a quiet town in the mountains, and the people were content with it the way it was.  
Kyla asked him a question. "Dad, during the war against Giygas, wasn't this town overrun with zombies and ghosts?"  
Apple Man nodded. "It was, Kyla. One of Giygas' servants caused the undead to rise from their graves and attack the town. It caused a lot of fear and suffering here. Luckily, they were stopped before the damage became irreparable."  
Kyla knew that there was more to it than that. "When I was in Snow Wood, Dad, Professor Tony told me that you invented a way to stop the zombies."  
Her father sighed. "So you know about that." He shook his head. "I did create something to stop them: a variety of paper that was similar to fly paper, but it stuck to zombies instead. But I only made it; it was Ness, Paula, and Jeff who actually used it to trap and stop the zombies. I didn't do all that much."  
"That isn't true, Dad," Kyla argued. "Your invention saved people's lives. You need to give yourself more credit."  
Apple Man shrugged. "Even if what you say is true, Kyla, that's just not the way I am." He glanced at her. "I invent for the betterment of humanity, Kyla. I invent to help people, not just to help myself. If I invented for myself, just to say that I was the one who did it... Well, I'd be no different from Guy's father."  
Guy nodded. "I agree with you, Apple Man," he said. "My father only invented out of avarice, to become wealthy. He has never invented anything that actually helps others."  
"And what about you, Guy?" asked Deckard, who couldn't help pointing it out. "You invent weapons. Weapons don't improve humanity."  
Guy could not think of a response to this. "I... Well..." Deckard merely smirked, and folded his arms triumphantly.  
Kyla wiped the smirk off of his face. "He invents weapons in the hope that someday people won't need them," she shot at Deckard. "Besides, you have no business berating someone for making weapons when you carry a weapon yourself. Somebody made that sword of yours, after all."  
Deckard didn't speak again for a long time.

As the sun began to set, they finally reached the Dusty Dunes Desert. It was a wasteland of sand that stretched as far as the eye could see, broken only by the road in front of them and a multitude of uninviting rocks. "So this is the desert..." Kyla remarked.  
After driving for a while longer, Apple Man pulled off the road and parked in front of a lone ramshackle log building. A large sign attached to the building's roof had the word "DRUGS" painted on it in very faded letters. The building was abandoned; the door hung on one hinge, and the glass in the windows was smashed in.  
"This used to be a general store," Apple Man explained. "It went out of business more than 20 years ago. There's nothing in there now, but the building still stands."  
"I presume this is where we part ways," stated Kato.  
Apple Man nodded. "If Talah Rama is still alive, and if he still lives in the same place, you'll find him to the north of this building." He indicated the abandoned store. "If you go north from here, you'll find a hole in the ground with a ladder leading down. Follow it, and you'll be in Talah Rama's caves."  
"Okay," said Sasha.  
Kato opened Zain's backpack and brought out the Sound Stone. "Since you are going to the next Sanctuary, you will need this," he said.  
Karen took the Sound Stone. "I hope you and Sasha find a way to help Zain," she said. "I miss him."  
"As do I," Guy added. "It was he who brought us all together. It is simply not the same without him."  
Sasha nodded. "I know what you mean."  
Apple Man looked at them. "You'll have Zain's Receiver Phone with you, Sasha," he said, "so you can call Jeff at my house if you need to; the number is saved on the phone. After I take the others to Fourside, I'll come back here at this same time tomorrow. If you need me to pick you up, then wait in front of this building then."  
"Very well," said Kato.  
Apple Man looked at them for a moment. "Okay then," he said. "Be careful, both of you. There's no telling how many Madness creatures could be in this desert."  
"We will," Sasha promised.  
Carrying Zain's body between them, Sasha and Kato got out of the van, and it drove away into the eastern horizon, leaving just the two of them standing in the wasteland. The sun had set farther, and night was beginning to overtake the area.  
With the absence of the sun, Sasha felt a slight chill. She looked at Kato. "...It looks like it's just the two of us now," she said.  
"Yes," Kato agreed. "But if luck is on our side, there may be three of us here in the near future."  
Sasha nodded, looking at Zain. "I hope so..."

**_To be continued..._**  



	29. Earthbound 202X Part 29

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 29 Sasha's Will**

Sasha looked out over the desert. The sun had set all the way by now, and the only light now came from the crescent moon that hung in the sky.  
Kato walked up next to her. "Since the sun is down, we shall not have a problem from sunstroke," he stated.  
Sasha nodded, shivering a little. "Yeah... It actually feels kind of cold."  
"Indeed." Kato folded his arms. "Are you ready for this, Sasha?"  
Sasha turned to look at Zain, where they had set him on the ground. _Maybe... If we can find Talah Rama, maybe Zain will finally wake up..._ "I'm ready," she said decisively. "Let's pick him up."  
Kato held up a hand, stopping her. "I have a better option in mind than the two of us carrying him across the desert," he revealed. "I am going to transform. When I do, load Zain onto my back."  
Sasha blinked. "Oh, I forgot you can transform yourself," she said, feeling stupid.  
"But when I am carrying Zain, I will not be able to react as well to danger," Kato continued. "If we encounter trouble, such as creatures of the Madness, you will be primarily responsible for defending us."  
"Oh." Sasha looked at the ground. "But I'm not strong. I don't know if I can..."  
Kato put a hand on her shoulder. "You can," he said. "Zain constantly spoke of the times when you protected him. And I have been with you long enough to know what you are capable of. I believe in you, Sasha. I have no doubts about trusting you with my safety."  
Meeting his gaze, Sasha nodded. "...Okay. I'll do it." She smiled slightly. "Thanks, Kato..."  
Kato nodded back, and walked over near Zain. He concentrated, preparing himself. "PSI Form Change!"  
Sasha watched as Kato suddenly transformed into a mule. She walked over to him. "Kato... Can you talk while you're in that form?"  
He answered by braying loudly and shaking his head. Sasha sighed. "Well, you're not going to be much for conversation, then," she joked.  
Kato snorted and glared at Sasha impatiently. She held up a hand. "Okay, okay, I was just kidding."  
She walked over to Zain and tried to lift him, without much success. "He's too heavy," she said. "I can't lift him by myself."  
Kato came over, laying down next to them. With much effort, Sasha managed to drag Zain over Kato, draping him over the mule's back.  
Panting from the effort, Sasha looked at Kato. "Now, make sure that you walk gently, so he doesn't fall off," she told him.  
Kato merely snorted and stood up. Together, they set off to the north, following Apple Man's directions.

Several hours passed. Finally, Sasha stopped near some large rocks. She felt very fatigued from walking for so long.  
"I'm tired..." she told Kato, catching her breath. "I have sand everywhere on me."  
Kato nodded to her, and stopped as well. Sasha wished he could talk right now; the trek across the desert had been very silent.  
She looked at the mule. "How are you doing?" she asked. "Are you tired of carrying Zain yet? If you are, you can put him down for a while."  
Kato shook his head, but the way he carried himself said otherwise. But rather than sore, he simply looked... weary. Sasha wondered if remaining transformed like this was tiring him out.  
She looked at Zain, who was hanging over Kato's back, completely unconscious as usual. _I hope he isn't too sore from being carried like that..._ she thought to herself. _But if he never wakes up, he'll never feel it anyway..._  
The thought strengthened her resolve anew, and she stood up. "Let's keep going," she told Kato.  
Kato started to nod... And then stopped. He pricked his ears up, listening.  
"What is it, Kato?" asked Sasha. "Do you hear something?"  
At that moment, a large creature leapt out from behind the rocks, menacing them. Sasha had never seen anything like it. It looked like a large yellow striped lizard, with an out-of-place-seeming red and white feathery crest on its head. The lizard-thing walked on its hind legs, and its smaller forelegs bore razor-sharp claws, which it was now brandishing at them.  
"What IS that?" Sasha asked. Just then, in the darkness, she saw the Madness in its red eyes.  
Sasha reached into her pocket and brought out her slingshot, but she was too late. The creature gave a shrill shriek and charged at them.  
Surprised, Sasha threw herself to the side. The thing ran past her, barreling into Kato. Braying in pain, the mule was knocked over, and Zain was thrown off, sprawling in a heap off to the side.  
"No!" Sasha cried. _Kato trusted me with his safety, and I let him down..._  
Angry at herself, she fitted one of her steel slingshot bullets to her slingshot, aimed, and fired at the creature. The lizard-thing was struck in the head, and it shrieked in agony.  
Now its attention shifted to Sasha. It turned to her and charged again, its red eyes intent on killing her.  
Sasha was ready this time. Concentrating hard, she placed her hand on the ground. "PSI Freeze Beta!"  
As the lizard-thing charged at Sasha, the ground in front of her became covered with a sheet of ice. When the creature's feet hit the ice, it slipped and fell down, sliding to a stop.  
While it struggled to get up, Sasha pelted it with several more slingshot bullets, followed by another blast of PSI Freeze Beta. Even with that, however, the creature still had some fight left in it. It began crawling across the ice toward her, reaching for her with its claws.  
Becoming worried, Sasha attacked it again. "PSI Freeze Beta!"  
The creature was blasted with frost yet again. But still it crawled toward her, covered with ice crystals.  
_What do I do?_ Sasha wondered. No matter how many times she hit it, the creature still wouldn't stop. Now it was almost upon her.  
Suddenly, from behind, Kato descended upon the creature, slashing down with the Sword of Kings, and it was over. "This... This was... quite a resilient one..." he said, looking extremely tired.  
"Kato!" cried Sasha. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"  
"I am not... not injured," Kato replied. "Merely... fatigued."  
Remembering how she had healed Zain from his sleepiness before, Sasha went over to help him. "Here, I'll heal you."  
But Kato waved her off. "It is... not that kind of fatigue," he said. "I am low on mental energy... I've been using it continuously from the start, to m... to maintain my transformation." He leaned on his sword, looking like he was about to fall over.  
"Then we should just stay here and rest for now," said Sasha.  
Kato shook his head. "No, Sasha... Not here." He looked at the fallen creature. "There could be... There could be more of those creatures about." He managed to stand up. "We must simply... continue onward."  
"Not like that, you can't!" Sasha exclaimed. "You're about to fall over! If transforming drains your energy, how do you expect to stay transformed in your shape?"  
Kato shrugged. "I must... I must simply endure," he replied. "I have suffered... through worse in the past."  
_There's no way he can keep going,_ Sasha thought to herself. _But he's right... We can't stay here long. If only there was some way to restore his energy..._  
Then it hit her; she suddenly recalled something Karen had said. "Karen told me once that she had the ability to take someone else's energy to restore her own," she said. "I think she called it PSI Magnet. Can you do that, Kato?"  
Puzzled, Kato slowly nodded. "I... I can," he replied. "Though I am not very... proficient in it. It is... an ability that... that I do not use often."  
_That's the answer, then!_ Sasha spread her arms. "Use it to take my energy, Kato," she told him.  
Kato blinked. "I cannot do that!" he cried. "I could not... I could not do that to you, Sasha."  
"I'm giving it to you freely," said Sasha. "It's the only way we can keep going. Take my energy."  
With a sigh, Kato looked at her. "Are... Are you certain about this?" he asked her. "Are you absolutely certain?"  
Sasha nodded. "Yes," she said adamantly. "Take my energy."  
Kato sighed again. "I... I never thought that... that I would use this ability in this manner..." he said. Reluctantly, he focused what little energy he had left, and concentrated. He envisioned himself connecting to Sasha, like a parasite about to siphon the life of its host. "PSI Magnet Alpha."  
Abruptly Sasha felt dizzy, nauseous, and tired all at the same time. She fell to her knees, unable to stand. She could feel her energy being leeched away, leaving a sickening, empty void where it used to be...

"-sha, are you well?" Blinking, Sasha looked up at Kato, who was now standing over her. "Sasha, are you well?" he repeated.  
Sasha looked around. She was in the same place as before. "I... I'm okay," she replied. "I think I blacked out."  
"You did," Kato confirmed. "But only for about thirty seconds."  
Looking at him, Sasha saw that Kato seemed much better. He only looked slightly fatigued now. She, on the other hand, felt a lot more tired than she did before.  
"I only took enough to continue for a while longer," Kato explained. "If I become fatigued again, we will simply stop and rest."  
"Okay..." said Sasha. She stood up slowly; other than the new fatigue she felt, she seemed to be okay.  
Kato was scrutinizing her, and Sasha could tell that he was making sure that she wasn't hurt. "I'm fine, Kato," she reassured him. "It just... It..."  
"It was not a pleasant experience," Kato finished for her. "I know what you felt then. When the old master taught me the technique, he used it on me, to teach me how it felt to have my energy stolen."  
Sasha looked at him, understanding. "That's why you didn't want to use it on me," she said.  
"Yes," Kato confirmed. "Theft of any kind is deplorable. But theft of one's own energy... Especially when the thief is an ally... Is inexcusable. It is heinous to steal from a friend in order to better one's own lot."  
Sasha nodded. "That's true." Then she smiled at him. "Except that you didn't steal it from me. I gave it to you freely, remember?"  
Kato sighed. "What you say is true. You all but ordered me to take it, actually." However, he still looked troubled.  
Sasha walked over to where Zain lay in the sand, and then turned back to Kato. "Kato... I'm sorry I let you down," she said. "I failed to protect you from that Madness creature. I'm sorry."  
Kato shook his head. "I do not blame you for that," he answered. "You have nothing to be sorry for."  
Sasha turned around and looked down at Zain. "I can't help anyone..." she said softly, so that Kato couldn't hear her. "I couldn't even beat that Madness creature by myself. I couldn't do anything to help Kato, and I can't do anything to help Zain..." A tear fell from her eye. "All I am is a burden."

They continued onward. It seemed that there was no end to their trek. Gradually the large rocks disappeared, giving way to nothing but sand as far as the eye could see.  
Some time later, Sasha had to stop. She bent down, resting her hands on her knees, feeling very fatigued. Although she didn't want to admit it, Kato's PSI Magnet had drained her more than she had realized at the time. In addition to that, her legs had felt heavier with every step; she was tired out physically AND mentally.  
She looked at Kato, who was carrying Zain in his mule form. "How are you doing, Kato?" she asked. "Are you tired again yet?"  
Kato brayed and shook his head, but as before, his body language said otherwise. _He hates to admit he's tired,_ thought Sasha. _I wish I had his endurance._  
"You're probably very hot with all that fur," she remarked. "I'm feeling kind of hot myself, after walking for so long." She wiped the sweat from her brow. "It would be nice to have a glass of water right about now, or even a few ice cubes."  
Kato nodded in agreement. Her eyes lighting up, Sasha stood up quickly. "I have an idea," she said. Concentrating her dwindling mental energy, she waved her arm in the air over Kato. "PSI Freeze Alpha."  
What little moisture there was in the air solidified in front of Sasha's hand, and a small wave of frost coated Kato's fur. "Is that better?" she asked.  
The mule nodded, looking at her gratefully. "That's good," said Sasha. "I wish I could make more for you, but the air's too dry. If there were only more moisture in it, I could make a lot more ice."  
Then she realized something. _That must have been why my PSI didn't work as well against that Madness creature earlier,_ she thought, understanding. _My PSI Freeze doesn't create ice from nothing; it freezes it out of the moisture in the air. Without that moisture, my power is limited..._ She sighed and looked at the ground. _But even if there were more moisture in the air, it wouldn't have made any difference anyway..._  
She looked ahead. "Let's cross this last sand dune, and then we'll take a break for a while. Okay?"  
Kato nodded, accepting this. "Let's go, then," said Sasha.  
They walked onward, crossing the last dune... And then they saw it.  
The desert still spread onward before them... But right in front of them, there was a hole leading into the ground. The rope ladder attached to the hole suggested that someone had regularly used the hole.  
Sasha looked at Kato. "This... This must be it!" she cried happily. "We found it!"  
Kato bent down to the ground and carefully shrugged Zain off of his back, and then returned to his normal form. "...I am glad, Sasha," he said; although he looked very tired, he seemed to be okay for the time being. "I did not realize, when we set out, that Talah Rama's domain was so far away. If I had, I would have prepared much better than I did."  
He walked over to the hole and looked down. "It is not very deep," he stated. "Between the two of us, it should not be difficult to take Zain down there."  
Looking at Zain, Sasha nodded. "Let's do it, then," she said, "before more Madness creatures come."

Several minutes later, they had managed to carry Zain into the hole. The hole's depth was about twice Sasha's height. Before them, a tunnel extended into the distance, sloping downward into the darkness.  
Sasha peered down the tunnel, trying to see if there was an end to it, but it eventually curved away. A dank, musty smell permeated the entire area, a stark contrast to the dry desert above them.  
She turned to Kato. "Should we keep going?" she asked.  
Kato shook his head. "Not yet," he replied. "We do not know for certain what awaits us inside. Let us rest here and recover our energy before moving on."  
Sasha nodded. "Yes, you're right," she agreed.  
They sat down on the ground, which was strangely dry compared to the damp smell. Sasha sighed and looked at Kato. "I... Even if you have ulterior reasons for it, I'm glad you came with me, Kato," she told him. "I wouldn't have made it even a quarter as far on my own..."  
Kato shook his head. "That is not true, Sasha. I think you would have made it even farther, if you had to."  
Sasha looked away. "But... I'm not strong, or smart, or..." She closed her eyes. "I can't do anything."  
Kato sighed. "Sasha, you have come all this way for Zain," he said. "You care about him enough to risk your life to help him. I believe that that must count for something. Don't you?"  
Sasha looked at Zain. "...It's what he would have done for me, if our places were exchanged," she said. "Right from the start, he called me his friend. He didn't even know me, but he took care of me just the same."  
She turned to Kato. "I want him to come back," she declared. "I want to hear his voice again. I want to see his smile again." She looked at her hand. "I want to feel his hand against mine, like before." Her gaze returned to Zain. "...But I'm not strong enough to help him. Even though he took care of me, I'm not strong enough to take care of him." Several tears ran down her cheeks. "I... I don't deserve his friendship."  
"Sasha..." Kato stared at her. _She IS strong,_ he thought to himself, _but she does not believe that she is._ He gazed at her fondly. _I wish you could see how strong you are, Sasha..._

A few hours later, Sasha woke up from her nap. She felt rejuvenated; the short sleep had restored most of her energy.  
Kato was already awake; he noticed her movement. "Did you sleep well, Sasha?" he inquired.  
Sasha nodded. "Yes, I did. What about you?"  
Kato stood up, checking his sword. "I rested long enough." He walked over and offered Sasha his hand; she took it, and he pulled her to her feet. "Are you ready to go, Sasha?"  
"I'm ready," Sasha answered.  
"Very well," said Kato. He looked over at Zain. "I will transform again, and carry him."

The strange smell pervaded the entire cave as they walked through it. A thin foggy mist wafted throughout the cave's interior, impairing their vision. Sasha brought out the flashlight from Zain's backpack, lighting their path.  
"It's so dark and empty," said Sasha. "As if no one lives here anymore." She looked at Kato. "I... I really hope Talah Rama still lives here..."  
Kato said nothing. "Oh, right..." sighed Sasha. "You can't talk right now."  
As she often did, she glanced back at Zain, who was once again draped across the mule's back. "I really hope he lives here..." she repeated.  
She turned and walked forward again. As she walked, she recalled the first day she and Zain had spent together. She thought of Zain eating all of his hamburgers, and the joke he had made when she had accidentally frozen his soda. She thought of Zain showing her how to heal with PSI, and how to talk to animals-  
Sasha froze in place. She had completely forgotten that she could use her PSI to talk to animals.  
She turned to Kato. "Say something, Kato," she told him, concentrating.  
Kato blinked. (But I cannot say anything in this form,) he brayed.  
"But that's not true," Sasha responded. "I can understand you if I use my PSI." She looked at Zain. "Zain showed me how, on the first day we were together," she explained. "How could I have forgotten that? I'm so stupid; this whole time, we could have talked to each other."  
Kato shook his head. (Do not blame only yourself, Sasha. I am at fault as well,) he told her. (I knew of this ability, but I did not remember it either. Like PSI Magnet, it is an ability that I did not use very much. When I learned it, I used it often, but the animals in Dalaam are... foolish. They generally had nothing useful to say, save for how hungry they were.)  
Sasha laughed. "That kind of sounds like Zain, or at least his stomach," she joked. "In any case, Kato, now that we've remembered how to talk to animals, let's never forget it again, okay?" she proposed.  
(Agreed.)  
They continued forward again. As they walked, Kato said, (I am glad to see you in good spirits again, Sasha. It suits you.)  
Sasha looked at the ground. "...Thanks..."

Pressing forward, Sasha and Kato traversed the cave. As they went, the path often forked, forcing them to choose which way to go. But despite running into dead ends several times, they still continued, merely backtracking and trying another route.  
As they went, Kato told Sasha about life in Dalaam; the life he had known before attempting Mu training. "Dalaam sounds like a fun place to visit," Sasha told him. "It sounds like you were happy there."  
(It was a simple life,) Kato admitted, (but I was happy with it.) He looked at Sasha. (Now, with the knowledge of my heritage... Even if we succeed in our quest, I will never be able to truly return to that life. If and when I return, I will become the next emperor of Dalaam. I will be responsible for the wellbeing of the entire country. My life will never be simple again.)  
"But you'll do alright," Sasha replied. "From the way you took charge of all of us back in Twoson, I'm sure you'll do a great job. You're a born leader, Kato." She looked away. "Not like me..."  
If Kato had been human, he would have sighed. What she said was not true, but Kato had no idea how to make her see it. Ever since Zain had been incapacitated by Kaatz, Sasha was becoming more and more convinced of her own uselessness. Kato wished he could convince her otherwise, but there seemed to be no way to do so, no matter what he said or did.

Finally, they arrived at a chamber that was larger than anything else they had seen in the cave. Unlike the rest of the cave, the chamber was lit by torches; Sasha turned off the flashlight and put it away.  
There was an exit on the other side of the chamber, but it was covered with a thick door. In front of the door stood a figure, the likes of which neither Sasha nor Kato had ever seen before.  
The person was covered with plate armor. A great helmet and visor covered his head and face, and it was impossible to make out any of his features. His armored hands rested on a great sword in front of him.  
Upon seeing him, Sasha gasped in surprise. Kato shrugged Zain off of his back and returned to his original form, placing his hand on his sword.  
"Who are you?" asked Sasha.  
The armored figure spoke with a very deep voice. "You may call me the Lune Knight," he answered.  
Kato stepped forward, in front of Sasha. "We come seeking the sage, Talah Rama," he declared. "Is he here?"  
The armored visor turned to look at him. "Perhaps he is... And perhaps he isn't," he said cryptically. "The answer you seek depends upon the outcome of our encounter."  
"What do you mean?" asked Sasha, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"  
The Lune Knight paused. "What I mean," he replied, "is that if you want to see the sage, you must pass my test!"  
_A... A test?_ thought Sasha.  
Kato faced the knight, almost provocatively. "What kind of test?" he demanded.  
"The test is for the one who has come to see the sage," the Lune Knight responded. "The one who has come not for herself, but for someone else."  
Sasha stepped backward. "M-Me?" she cried.  
"Yes," said the knight. "You must prove yourself worthy of being in the presence of the sage. You must prove that your strength and determination to see him warrants his attention." He looked at Kato. "The other shall not interfere."  
Kato drew the Sword of Kings. "If you think that I will sit by and watch while Sasha endures hardship, you are gravely mistaken!" he spat venomously.  
"You will if you care about her at all," retorted the Lune Knight. "If you interfere with her test in any way, both of you will lose your chance to see Talah Rama forever."  
Stung, Kato backed down, lowering his sword. He turned to Sasha. "...Apparently, I... cannot help you," he said. "You must do this on your own, Sasha."  
Startled, Sasha looked from Kato to the Lune Knight. "But... But I can't do it on my own!" she exclaimed. "I can't do anything on my own!"  
"You must," said the Lune Knight. "That is, if you wish to see Talah Rama. Will you accept the test, Sasha Maybee?"  
_How does he know my full name?_ Sasha wondered.  
She looked at the knight. _I can't possibly pass his test by myself..._ she thought. _There's no way. I will lose for sure..._  
Then she turned and looked back at Zain, who now lay on the ground. _But if I don't try... I'll never be able to be with Zain again._  
Sasha turned back to the knight. "I... I will accept the test," she stated.  
The knight nodded, almost approvingly. "Then let the test begin."  
With that, the Lune Knight took up the great sword that he was previously resting on, and gripped it in his left hand. "Sasha Maybee," he said, his voice booming throughout the chamber, "why have you come? Why do you wish to see the sage?"  
Hanging her head, Sasha answered, "I just want to help Zain... I just want him to wake up..."  
The Lune Knight paused for a moment. "And why have you come HERE, to help him?" he demanded of her. "Why this place, and no other?"  
Not meeting the knight's gaze, Sasha said, "I... I don't know where else to go. This was the only place I knew of... The only possibility. I had to come."  
Standing off to the side, Kato watched in concern. _Why must it be her alone who is tested?_ he pondered. The fact that he could do nothing gnawed at him terribly. _Why can I not help her?_  
The knight paused again, as if thinking on the information he had been given. "So then, Sasha Maybee," he said, "you have crossed a desert to help Zain. You have come all the way here to help him, braving the elements and the creatures of the Madness alike."  
Even though she couldn't see his face, Sasha could feel him glaring at her. "And yet, despite all you have accomplished, you persist in believing that you are weak. That you can do nothing. After all you have done for him, you believe that you haven't the strength to help him."  
Sasha shook her head. "But... But I..."  
"You wish to help Zain, but you believe that you cannot," interrupted the knight. "We shall find out which is true: what you believe, or what you have done. Do you have the power to save your friend?"  
Suddenly, to both Sasha and Kato's surprise, the Lune Knight transformed into a mirror image of Zain. From his blond hair to his green eyes to his clothes, everything was the same. The only differences were that the mirror image did not have Zain's goggles, and that he did not have that strange pseal on his forehead... And that he still held the Lune Knight's great sword in his left hand.  
Taken aback, Sasha stared at the Zain copy. "What... What is this?" she asked. She then noticed another difference: the green eyes of this Zain held no tenderness... No compassion.  
The Lune Knight spoke, in Zain's voice. "If you can defeat me, Sasha... If you can overcome your doubts, then you will get to see Talah Rama. But if you lose, then you will forfeit your chance to see Talah Rama forever."  
With that, the Zain copy's eyes turned red with the power of empathic PSI. "En garde!" he shouted, dashing forward at Sasha.  
"Sasha!" cried Kato. He raised his sword, but then remembered the Lune Knight's warning.  
Completely caught off guard, Sasha quickly backed away, narrowly missing being cut by the sword. She did not receive much time to recover, however; the Lune Knight soon attacked again.  
Faced with another attack, Sasha did the only thing she could: she threw herself to the ground. The sword whistled over her, not missing by much.  
There was only one thing Sasha could do; on the ground, there was no way she could avoid another attack. Hastily concentrating, she threw her arms up to protect herself. "PSI Shield Gamma!"  
The advanced psychic shield manifested around her just in time; the Lune Knight's third attack came crashing down upon it. But the shield did its duty, and the sword glanced harmlessly off of it.  
With this new development, the Zain copy backed off. "Behold, Sasha," he said. "You are capable of protecting yourself from harm. While you are wrapped within the power of that shield, my sword is useless against you. Yet you believe that you are weak."  
Sasha slowly got up off of the ground and faced him. The Lune Knight outstretched his free hand at her, and Sasha felt an immense power build up, similar to what she had felt when Zain had been about to unleash his power. "Try this, then," he stated. "PSI Starstorm Alpha!"  
A starlight storm of terrible wrath burst forth from the Lune Knight's hand. As the powerful attack screamed towards her, Sasha threw up her arms to protect herself, certain that she was about to die... But her advanced psychic shield blocked the attack, leaving her completely unharmed.  
Kato analyzed the Lune Knight's actions as he stood by on the side. He could tell that the Lune Knight had expected his attack to be blocked. _He's playing with her,_ Kato realized. _He knows exactly what he is doing... And he is waiting to make his real move._  
Almost as if Kato's thought had been a prophecy, the Lune Knight raised his hand at Sasha again. "As intriguing as your shield is, I think it's time for it to go away. PSI Shield-Off!"  
Suddenly, Sasha's shield dissipated as if it were a mass of fog. "How... H-How did you that?" asked Sasha.  
The Lune Knight smirked. "It is quite simple, when one knows how," he remarked. "In any case, you cannot defeat me if you do nothing but defend. If you hope to have any chance of winning, you need to attack as well."  
Since he wasn't attacking her for the moment, Sasha stopped to think quickly. _My slingshot is probably useless against him,_ she decided. For her to have any chance at all, she was going to have to rely on PSI.  
She began to concentrate, building up mental energy. The Lune Knight merely stood there, waiting for Sasha to make her move. Kato continued to watch. _The Lune Knight is still toying with her,_ he thought to himself. _She is falling right into his trap..._  
Just then, Sasha released her attack. "PSI Freeze Beta!"  
A swarm of ice crystals manifested around the Lune Knight. Kato suspected that the Lune Knight would no longer be there; he would quickly dodge the attack the way Kaatz often did.  
However, Kato was wrong. The Lune Knight merely stood there, and allowed the ice crystals to strike him... And to both Kato and Sasha's surprise, it had absolutely no effect.  
The Lune Knight frowned. "Hmmph," he muttered, nonchalantly brushing the ice off of himself. "Is that the best you can do?"  
Sasha stepped backward. Unfortunately for her, PSI Freeze Beta WAS the best she could do...  
Or was it? She had been using PSI Freeze Beta for a very long time, since back when she and Zain had gone to find Lumina Pillar. What if she had gained enough experience with her power, by using it time and time again, that she could take it to the next level?  
Seeing that the Zain copy still had no intention of acting, Sasha began to concentrate more energy. She kept concentrating, focusing her power, readying a Freeze attack more powerful than any she had used before.  
Finally, Sasha released it. "PSI Freeze Gamma!" she cried, thrusting her hands forward at the Lune Knight.  
To Kato's surprise, a giant mass of ice, larger than anything Sasha had ever made before, crystallized around the Lune Knight. The ice slashed into him, tearing into his body. _Surely,_ Kato thought to himself, _such an attack must defeat him._  
But again he was wrong. The Lune Knight was covered with cuts and gashes, but there was no blood at all. And to Kato and Sasha's horror, the wounds merely closed up again. The copy of Zain laughed as he pulled a large icicle out of his shoulder, and the resulting wound closed up.  
"That was more like it, Sasha," commented the Lune Knight. "But you're still going to have to do better than that if you hope to meet the sage."  
With that, the Zain copy smiled, and unlike the real Zain's smile, there was no kindness in it at all. "Try harder, Sasha," he scolded mockingly.  
Kato gritted his teeth. _He dares to toy with her like that..._  
It was all Kato could do to keep from taking his sword and laying into Sasha's foe. His friend was suffering, and yet if he tried to help her, they would lose their chance to help another friend.  
Sasha did not know what to do. She had just mastered a stronger Freeze attack, but it was still not enough. _What can I do?_ Sasha asked herself... And the reply soon came to her. _Nothing..._  
The Lune Knight laughed triumphantly. "There is nothing else you can do, is there? That's the extent of what you're capable of." He glared at Sasha disdainfully. "And you call yourself one of the Chosen Eight."  
Sasha hung her head, not looking at him. "I'm... too weak..." she said softly. "I can't do anything."  
The Lune Knight walked over to Sasha and stood in front of her. "I suppose that you truly ARE too weak," he agreed. "I thought that perhaps you had some hidden strength, that you simply have not shown yet... But I was wrong."  
The copy of Zain reached out and pushed Sasha roughly to the ground, and leered down at her. "Talah Rama does not lower himself to meet with weaklings," he stated. "You have failed my test. You have come all the way out here for nothing."  
Sasha looked up at him, beginning to cry. "But... But what about Zain...?" she asked.  
"He will never awaken," declared the Lune Knight. "This was your chance to help him, and you failed. You have no further business here, so take your shapeshifting companion and go home."  
"But he HAS to wake up!" sobbed Sasha. "He HAS to! Please, isn't there anything-"  
The Lune Knight folded his arms. "You failed," he repeated. "You can't help him. Go home."  
Kato had had enough. Gripping his sword, he advanced on the Lune Knight. "If you will not help, then I shall force you to!" he shouted.  
The Lune Knight raised a hand. "Paralysis Alpha."  
Abruptly, Kato's body went limp, and he fell to the ground. Unable to move, he could only watch.  
The Lune Knight looked down at him. "I thought I told you not to interfere," he said. He pointed down at Kato. "Hypnosis Alpha." Kato suddenly felt extremely sleepy, and he passed out into unconsciousness.  
Sasha was still looking up at the Lune Knight. "Please... Please help..." she begged earnestly.  
The Zain copy shook his head. "Go home." He turned and started walking away.  
Defeated, Sasha looked over at the real Zain, who still lay on the ground near the entrance to the chamber. She finally realized that there was not going to be any help for Zain; he would never wake up. _I'll never hear his voice again..._ she thought in anguish.  
She remembered back in Primera, when she had first stepped off of the bus and encountered Zain completely by chance... And when he had held her hand and offered to be her friend.  
Several tears fell from her eyes as Sasha looked at that hand. _He'll never hold my hand again..._  
She remembered the way Zain had always given his all to protect her. He had never given up, not even in the worst situation. And now, when the tables were turned and Zain needed HER to help HIM for a change, Sasha was giving up. _If I give up on him... What kind of friend am I?_  
Abruptly her sadness turned to anger. "No."  
The Lune Knight, who was on the other side of the room by now, turned around. "What? I thought I told you to go home."  
Sasha stood up and wiped her tears away. "Zain never gave up for me," she said. "And I'm not going to give up for him." She faced the Lune Knight defiantly. "I came here to see Talah Rama. Let me through!"  
The Zain copy smirked. "I already told you, you lost your chance," he said. "Talah Rama does not wish to meet with a weakling."  
Sasha didn't back down. "Maybe I'm not strong," she said. "Maybe I can't do everything, like Zain can. Maybe I am a weakling." She stepped forward. "But I came here for my friend. I came here to see Talah Rama. I don't care if he doesn't want to meet me. He's going to see me, whether he wants to or not!"  
The Lune Knight folded his arms. "You're forgetting one thing," he said. "The only way you're getting past me is by defeating me."  
"Then I'll defeat you!" Sasha shouted. She glared hatefully at this twisted copy of Zain. "For Zain's sake... I'll rip you apart!"  
Scarcely aware of what she was doing, Sasha began concentrating, harder than she ever had before. A storm of mental energy gathered around her, and the surrounding air began to crackle with its power.  
Without losing his smirk, the Lune Knight stepped forward, raising his sword to cut Sasha down. "I'll put a stop to this."  
"I'LL SMASH YOU TO PIECES!" screamed Sasha. With that, she unleashed the immense energy she had gathered, thrusting her right hand at her enemy. "PSI CRYO-PRISM ALPHA!"  
Suddenly, the air around the Lune Knight became very cold. He looked around in surprise as giant sheets of ice manifested around him, surrounding him. "What's this?"  
Then, as quickly as they had appeared, the ice sheets flew towards the Lune Knight and fused to one another... Forming a giant faceted ice crystal. In the light from the torches, the crystal glittered like a diamond... And the Lune Knight was trapped inside it.  
"Are you trying to imprison me?" asked the Lune Knight with a laugh. "What do you think trapping me in ice is going to do?"  
Sasha didn't answer. Instead, she merely clenched her outstretched hand into a fist.  
The ice crystal imploded.

Breathing heavily, Sasha looked at her handiwork. Of the ice crystal-and the Lune Knight-nothing remained but a small, fist-sized lump of ice, which was quickly melting away.  
"I... I did it!" Sasha exclaimed happily. "I beat him!"  
She knelt down next to Kato, trying to awaken him from the Lune Knight's Hypnosis. "Kato, wake up! The Lune Knight is gone!"  
"He will awaken shortly," a voice spoke out from the other side of the room. "And when he does, he will find that the paralysis is gone as well."  
Surprised, Sasha looked over. Another man was standing in front of the door in the chamber. He was dressed in black pants and a long coat. A wide-brimmed hat covered his dirty, greasy brown hair. Strangely, he had a scarf tied around his face; all Sasha could see were his green eyes.  
Sasha stood up. "Who are you?" she asked. "If you're here to stop me from getting through, then I'll..."  
The stranger lifted a hand, which was covered by a fingerless black glove. "No, I already tried, and I lost," he said. "You passed my trial, Sasha. You have nothing else to fear from me."  
Sasha blinked. "You lost?" she asked. "But I didn't fight you. I fought the Lune Knight."  
The man shook his head. "The Lune Knight was an illusion," he revealed. "An illusion that I created. I was manipulating the illusion to test you, Sasha. And what you just did to that illusion exceeded my highest expectations."  
Angrily, Sasha confronted him. "Do you really think you can toy with people like that?" she demanded.  
Again, the man raised his hand. "I am sorry for what I did," he said. "I didn't want to do it, but it was necessary. Talah Rama agreed with me."  
Sasha looked at the door behind the man. "So Talah Rama IS here?" she asked.  
"Yes," replied the man. "And you have earned every right to meet with him."  
For some odd reason, the stranger's voice sounded very familiar to Sasha, but she couldn't quite place it. "But why did you have to test me?" asked Sasha. "I don't understand."  
"Because you had lost all faith in yourself," the man answered. "I wanted to give that back to you, and I think that I have, now. Because without that faith-if you don't believe in yourself-how can you expect to stand up to Giaguo?"  
Sasha didn't answer... Because she knew he was right.  
The man took a long look at her. "But I think you'll be alright now," he continued. "So I suppose I'll be on my way. I have things to do." He started walking toward the other end of the chamber, toward the exit. "When your friend has awakened, you may proceed to meet Talah Rama. He will help you."  
"Wait!" cried Sasha. "Who are you?" she asked, repeating her first question of him.  
The man turned back and took another long look at her, as if debating whether or not to respond. Finally, he made up his mind. "You may call me... La-Renz. We'll probably meet again, Sasha Maybee."  
With that, the man turned and walked away. As he left, Sasha couldn't help but notice the image of a bumblebee embroidered on the back of his coat.

**_To be continued..._**  



	30. Earthbound 202X Part 30

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 30: The Sage**

Kato suddenly sat up, looking around the room. "Where am I?" he demanded.  
"It's okay, Kato," said Sasha. She walked over, standing in front of him.  
Kato leapt to his feet, finding that the paralysis that had affected him was completely gone. "What has happened?" he asked. "Where is the Lune Knight?"  
"Don't worry, the Lune Knight is gone," Sasha assured him. "I defeated him."  
Kato stared at her. "You did?" His face softened, and he smiled. "I am proud of you, Sasha. I knew that you could do it."  
Sasha nodded. "I had completely convinced myself that I was weak and powerless... But I couldn't give up." She looked at her hand. "I'm still not as strong as you or Zain, Kato. But I won't give up. I'll keep going, no matter what." She looked at Kato and smiled. "That's what Zain would do."

Sasha spent the next few minutes explaining to Kato what had happened while he was unconscious.  
When she had finished, Kato looked back the way they had come. "So you're telling me that the Lune Knight was not real, and that a man named La-Renz is responsible for the ordeal you were forced to overcome."  
Sasha nodded. "There was something strange about him. He looked kind of familiar, and I have this strange feeling that I've heard his voice before." She looked where Kato was staring--the direction in which La-Renz had gone when he left. "I don't think he means us any harm."  
"I certainly hope not," Kato remarked. "We have enough problems as it is, without being menaced by some new unknown as well."  
Sasha turned around and looked at the door in front of them. "He said that Talah Rama was behind this door," she said. She looked at Kato. "If he is... Then maybe... Maybe Zain will finally wake up..."  
"Then let us go in," said Kato. "We have--YOU have--come a long way for this, Sasha. Let us finally meet the sage."

Carrying Zain between them, Sasha and Kato opened the door and proceeded into the room beyond.  
The final chamber of the caves was large and dome-shaped, and the ceiling rose high above them. But it was the person in the center of this chamber that caught Sasha and Kato's attention.  
There was a lone man sitting cross-legged in the center of the room, on a mat. He was clearly very old; his hair and beard were completely grey, and his face was covered in wrinkles. He was dressed in a white robe, and he wore an odd-shaped white hat on his head.  
The man's eyes were closed in meditation... But as Sasha and Kato approached, his eyes opened and looked at them... And though his body appeared to be very old, there was nothing old about the look in his eyes.  
"Welcome," he said. His voice sounded heavy with the weight of having seen far more than one should ever see... But at the same time, his voice was also filled with the brightness and vigor of one who still had hope.  
He looked at Sasha, and she suddenly had the unnerving feeling that he was looking right through her. "Welcome to my domain, Sasha Maybee." His head slowly turned to look at Kato, who then felt the same uncomfortable feeling. "And welcome to you as well, Prince Kato son of Poo." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Too long it has been, since I have had visitors in my lair."  
Kato nodded. "So you knew we were coming," he said, stating the obvious. "You must be the revered sage, Talah Rama." He bowed low to the ground in reverence. "It is truly an honor to meet you, great sage."  
"Lift your head, prince," said Talah Rama. "Do not bow to me. It is I who should be bowing to you, future emperor of Dalaam."  
Kato looked up slightly. "But--"  
"Rise," said the sage. Kato reluctantly stood upright.  
Sasha faced the old man. "How did you know we were coming?" she asked.  
The sage smiled warmly at her. "I have known for a long time that you were coming," he said. "I knew you would be coming here years before either of you were born."  
"You can see the future, just as my master in Dalaam," said Kato, looking almost as if he was about to bow to him again.  
Talah Rama nodded. "In a manner of speaking, yes," he answered. "I knew that you would come here, and I also know why you have come."  
Sasha blinked. "But how can you know exactly what's going to happen?" she asked. "It hasn't happened yet. I don't understand."  
"It is the simple truth," replied Talah Rama. "The truth of space and time moves through the universe like a wave..." He spread his arms wide to emphasize. "Truth speaks through space and matter and makes itself known to human beings." He looked at her. "I was waiting for you, and you came. This was destined to happen." He let his arms fall to his sides, and he looked at both of them. "In truth, all is pre-determined."  
Sasha shook her head, remembering what her father had told her once. "That can't be true," she said. "My dad said that the future is unwritten, and that no one can predict exactly what is going to happen."  
Talah Rama nodded slowly. "But if that were true, Sasha... Then you would almost certainly not be here. In fact, you would never have met HIM at all." He nodded toward Zain's body. "Because the only reason you met him is because of destiny. It was long ago written in the Apple of Enlightenment that the Chosen Eight would come to be; if not for that truth, you would not be where, or even WHO, you are right now."  
Kato nodded. "And if the old master in Dalaam were unable to see the future, I would not be here either. It is because of him, and what he saw, that I am here right now."  
"Indeed," agreed the sage.  
Sasha looked down, still not wanting to believe it.  
"I have a question that I wish to ask," said Kato. "Who is La-Renz?"  
Talah Rama smiled and closed his eyes. "Ah, the wanderer," he replied. "He has shouldered a tremendous burden... For a very long time." He sighed and opened his eyes, looking at them. "He has looked into the truth more than anyone, including myself. You need not fear him; he is not your enemy." He turned his head, focusing on Sasha. "The trial that you underwent because of him was intended to give you back your faith, Sasha. He meant no harm to you."  
Sasha nodded. "I felt that he was... a friend," she said. "But who is he? I don't understand why he did what he did."  
"It IS very odd," Kato added. "Neither of us has ever seen him before. Who is he, to suddenly show up and test Sasha like that?"  
"I cannot tell you exactly who he is," said Talah Rama. "As much as I would like to, it is not within my right to do so. If he wishes to, he will explain himself to you..." He rested his hands on his knees. "But do not expect him to. I find it surprising enough that he intervened directly and showed himself to you. But he must have his reasons for doing so." He smiled at Sasha. "I will tell you, though, that La-Renz is not merely 'some person' who suddenly appeared to you. He is closer to you than you think."  
Sasha remembered how La-Renz had felt... familiar to her, as if she knew him from somewhere... And the strange familiarity she had heard in his voice. She slowly nodded.  
She looked at Zain, and then at Talah Rama. "If you knew we were coming..." she said, "then you must know why we came."  
The sage nodded. "I do. You wish me to help your friend."  
"Yes," said Sasha. "Please, can you remove that pseal on Zain, so he can wake up again?"  
Talah Rama glanced at Zain, and sighed sadly. "The Empathic Pseal is closely entwined with Zain's mind," he said. "Not even I can remove it without destroying Zain in the process. The only person who can safely remove the pseal is the one who placed it on him." He looked away from them. "I am very sorry."  
Sasha stared blankly at him, stunned. She had come all the way out here; to hear that her efforts were all in vain... "But... But I... We came all this way..."  
"Is there nothing that can be done?" asked Kato. "Nothing at all?"  
Talah Rama shook his head. "I said that I cannot remove the pseal," he said. "I did not say that I could not help him." He gestured at Zain. "Bring him here."  
Sasha and Kato picked Zain up and carried him over to the sage. Talah Rama placed his hand on Zain's forehead and closed his eyes, appearing to be deep in thought. Sasha and Kato watched him, wondering what he would do.  
"The pseal is constantly attacking Zain's mind, looking for a weakness," explained Talah Rama, opening his eyes. "Because of this, Zain's mind has no choice but to defend itself; it has no chance to do anything else. That is why he cannot wake up; his mind has no choice but to devote all of its energy to protecting himself."  
Sasha looked at Zain, concerned. "What... What will happen if the pseal overcomes his defenses?" she asked.  
"If that should happen..." Talah Rama looked down at Zain. "The pseal will destroy him. It will crush everything of the Zain you know, rendering him nothing but a loyal pawn of your enemy." He sighed sadly. "When that happens, the rest of you will be in extreme danger. I am sure you can understand why."  
Kato nodded. "If that happens, then Giaguo will have control of Zain's empathic PSI," he answered.  
"Yes," said Talah Rama. "Zain is astonishingly powerful, even for an empathic psychic. When Giaguo manages to turn those formidable powers against you, your cause will be lost."  
"You keep saying 'when,'" observed Sasha, looking at Talah Rama expectantly.  
The sage nodded. "The end result of this pseal is inevitable," he revealed sadly. "Zain is very powerful, but this pseal is too much even for him. It may be tomorrow, it may be weeks from now, but eventually, the pseal WILL overcome him." He looked at Sasha. "And when that happens, Sasha, there will be nothing left of the friend you know now."  
"No..." Sasha hung her head. "Isn't there anything we can do to get the pseal off of him? Isn't there anything at all?"  
Talah Rama looked at her. "I will not lie to you, Sasha," he promised. "The one who placed this pseal on Zain truly knew what he was doing. To the best of my knowledge, there is no way for anyone to remove this pseal, other than that person." Noticing Sasha's eyes filling with tears, he added, "But there is always hope. As I have said previously, Zain is astonishingly powerful. I am certain that you've noticed by now, that he has a way of making possibility out of impossibility."  
Sasha closed her eyes and nodded, remembering. "He saved my life," she said softly. "He saved me so many times..."  
Kato nodded as well. "He has saved all of our lives before, no matter how dire the circumstances," he said.  
"But now that HE's the one in trouble, who's going to save HIM?" asked Sasha.  
Talah Rama reached up and placed his aged, wrinkled hand around Sasha's young, soft hand. "You can," he stated. "For his sake, you have done everything in your power to help him; for your sake, he has done the same. There is a bond between the two of you that can never be broken, no matter what happens." He stared into her sky-blue eyes. "Believe in him, Sasha. Believe in him forever. Never stop believing in him, and a miracle just might happen."  
"I do believe in him," said Sasha, wiping her tears with her other hand. "I've always believed in him. I'll do anything for him."  
"And so you have," the sage agreed. He let go of Sasha's hand and looked down at Zain. "And now, I will do what I can to help him."  
Kato looked at the pseal on Zain's forehead. "What are you going to do?" he asked.  
"This pseal is keeping Zain prisoner within his own mind, by forcing him to devote all of his mental resources to defending himself," Talah Rama said again. "I cannot remove the pseal, but I can alleviate it, if only a little. By performing a counterpseal, I may be able to grant Zain some additional protection against the pseal's malicious influence. If the protection is enough, it may allow him to wake up." He looked at Sasha and Kato solemnly. "But even so, the additional protection will only postpone the inevitable. Zain will still fall to the pseal, eventually."  
Sasha looked at Zain. "Please help him..."  
"Then I shall." Talah Rama placed his index finger on Zain's forehead, directly on the pseal. He concentrated, and the tip of his finger began to glow with white energy. Closing his eyes, the sage traced the pseal backwards with his finger.  
As Sasha and Kato watched, the entire pseal began to glow white for a moment, shining brightly. Without opening his eyes, Talah Rama covered the pseal with the palm of his hand, still concentrating. After several seconds, the white glow gradually began to fade, until it died away.  
The sage opened his eyes and removed his hand. The pseal had darkened back to its original black color, but now there was a thin white line tracing through it.  
"Did it work?" asked Sasha.  
Talah Rama sighed, looking even more tired than before; the exertion of power had clearly drained him. "All we can do now is wait," he said. "Take him back into the other chamber, Sasha. Wait with him. If the counterpseal was successful, then he will awaken if he can. I will wait here, until he wakes up."  
Sasha nodded. "Okay."  
"I will help you carry him out," said Kato.  
The two of them picked up Zain's body and carried him out of the room, into the previous chamber. After they set Zain down, Kato looked back at the door to Talah Rama's chamber. "Wait here with Zain, Sasha," he said. "I wish to speak with Master Talah Rama. I have... questions for him."  
"Okay," said Sasha. "I'll just wait here, and watch over Zain."  
Kato nodded, and went back into Talah Rama's main chamber.

"Ah, Prince Kato," said Talah Rama as Kato entered, "I thought you might come back in."  
"There are certain things I wish to ask you," said Kato.  
Talah Rama raised a hand at him. "Of course," he said. "I am here to guide you. Ask what you will of me, Prince Kato."  
Kato paused. "First, however, I must emphasize that I want the topic of this conversation to be confidential. I wish no one else to know of what I am about to ask you... Especially Sasha. She already has enough to worry about, without knowing what I know."  
"You have my word," agreed Talah Rama. "Ask your questions, Prince Kato."  
"Very well," said Kato. He thought back to the Tranquil Zone, and what he had seen there. "Some time ago, we found the Tranquil Zone, which is my Sanctuary," he explained. "While there, I had a troubling vision; a vision that continues to disturb me even now." He paused for a moment. "It is... about Zain's future."  
Talah Rama nodded understandingly. "You have seen his fate."  
Kato nodded back. "Master Talah Rama... Zain is... Zain is going to die. His future is nothing but death."  
Talah Rama closed his eyes. "This is the truth," he affirmed. "Even if Zain somehow manages to rid himself of the pseal upon him, he is going to die."  
Kato looked at the floor. "Is... Is there nothing that can be done?" he asked. "Is there no way to avoid it?"  
The sage sighed. "Time is like a river, Prince Kato," he explained. "Ever does it flow toward the future. But the flow of this river cannot be dammed or turned aside by any means." He stared solemnly at Kato. "Zain's fate is to die. Whether or not he manages to get rid of the pseal, whether or not the Chosen Eight succeed and banish the evil from this world... Zain will die."  
"I do not understand, honored sage," said Kato. "Why must this be? Why must he die, even if we defeat Giaguo?"  
Talah Rama stared straight at Kato. "Because he is a tool."  
"A... A tool?" Kato repeated.  
The sage nodded. "Zain is the leader of the Chosen Eight. Destiny has chosen this for him; this is the purpose of his existence. No matter what happens, once this purpose is fulfilled, Zain will have no more reason to exist, and destiny will extinguish him."  
Kato shut his eyes. "...So, no matter what we do, no matter what happens, Zain will die at the end of it." Frustrated, he clenched his hands into fists. "He does not deserve such a fate. This is not fair to him!"  
"Millions die who do not deserve to," Talah Rama replied. "They cannot be helped any more than Zain can. This is the truth of things."  
"It is false to what my heart believes," Kato declared. "I have not been with him long, but I believe that I have come to know Zain during my travels with him. If anyone is undeserving of death, it is him. I will not accept that Zain must die after his purpose is used up. I will not accept it!"  
To Kato's surprise, Talah Rama smiled. "If you truly feel that way, then remember what I told Sasha before," he said. "There is always hope."

He was surrounded by darkness.  
No matter where he looked, the darkness was there. He was completely surrounded.  
It was constricting him. The darkness was constantly pressing in on him, trying to crush him. It was suffocating him, trying to overwhelm him and erase him.  
He constantly tried to invoke his powers, but the familiar welling up of energy within him never came; his PSI would not respond this time. There was nothing he could do; he was completely helpless.  
Sometimes he thought he heard voices in the darkness. Whispery, insidious voices. _Give up. End your suffering. Give yourself over._  
But he did not heed them. He was not sure why anymore, but he did not listen to the voices. The darkness had cast a haze over his mind, and he could not even remember why anymore, but he had to keep struggling against the darkness. All he knew was that he could not give up.  
But soon, it would not matter whether or not he gave up. The darkness would overwhelm him, with or without his consent. He would drown, and there would be nothing but everlasting black...  
And then, a voice called his name. "Zain..."  
It was not a voice from the darkness. It was a voice he knew, one he had heard before... One he treasured. It cut through the darkness like a gleaming flash of light, and reached him. The darkness reeled back from it, and he felt some of the pressure lift.  
The voice called out to him again. "Zain, please come back to me..."  
He knew that voice. It belonged to someone important to him. For that someone, he would do anything. _Sasha..._  
For the first time, his power responded. It coursed through his body, and he began to glow like a morning sun. The darkness flinched back away from him, injured by the light of his power.  
The haze was cleared from his mind, and he remembered everything. He had to get to Sasha.  
He ran forward, tearing through the darkness with his power. But the darkness would not give up so easily...

Sasha sat against the wall of the chamber, hugging her knees to her chest. "Zain..." she said softly, even though she knew he couldn't hear. Zain's unconscious body lay at her side.  
Several hours had passed since Talah Rama had used the counterpseal on Zain. There was still no change in his condition. Sasha was beginning to fear that the counterpseal had not worked...  
She called to him again. "Zain, please come back to me..." Sadly, she closed her eyes.  
Something stirred next to her. Surprised, Sasha opened her eyes.  
Zain was sitting up, eyes open, looking around the room.  
Sasha gasped in astonishment. Zain heard her, and his eyes turned to her... But something was wrong.  
Instead of their usual green, Zain's eyes were completely black. There was no recognition in them when he looked at her; instead, his mouth turned upward in a strange smile. Sasha stared into his eyes; it was like looking into two black holes. There was nothing there.  
_What's wrong with him?_ Sasha wondered. "Zain...?" she asked.  
At the sound of her voice, Zain blinked. When he opened his eyes again, they were green again, back to normal. He blinked a few more times, as if he were clearing away a bad dream, and then looked at her. "Sasha...?"  
This was what she had been waiting to hear for so long; it seemed as if it had been an eternity since she had heard it last. When she heard his voice, Sasha smiled warmly, as happy as she had been when she first met him.  
"ZAIN!" Sasha threw herself onto him, knocking him back onto the floor. She hugged him tightly, wanting to never let go. "Zain, you're awake! Oh, Zain..."  
Zain hugged her back. "I was having some kind of nightmare..." he said. "Thanks for waking me up from it."  
"Zain..." Sasha hugged him tighter. "Zain, I missed you so much..."  
Zain blinked, confused. "Just how long have I been asleep?" he asked. "You're acting like I just got back from a long trip or something."  
Sasha's only response was to tighten her grip even more. She wanted to never let go of him...  
"Sasha, you're crushing me," Zain wheezed. "I can't breathe."  
"Oh." Sasha let go of him and sat up, embarrassed. "Sorry."  
"It's no problem," said Zain, sitting up as well.  
Sasha looked him over; except for the pseal on his forehead, Zain looked more or less back to normal. "How are you feeling?" she asked.  
Zain sighed. "Tired," he replied. He suddenly winced, and reached back, rubbing his neck. "And my neck's sore for some reason."  
"That's probably our fault," Sasha admitted, recalling all the times his body had been flung around over the past few days. "We had to carry you a lot. Sorry."  
Zain shrugged, wincing again from the neck movement. "Don't worry about it," he said, reassuring her. "I'll fix it easily." He placed his hand on the back of his neck and invoked his PSI. "Healing Alpha."  
Sasha stared in surprise as Zain's eyes suddenly flashed black. He cried out in pain and put his hands to his head. "Zain!" Sasha cried. "Are you okay?"  
"My... My head hurts," said Zain, eyes squeezed shut in pain. "The... The darkness..."  
After a moment, he let go of his head, and opened his eyes, which were back to normal. "I... I think it's gone," he said. He craned his neck experimentally. "And my neck feels better, too."  
"Zain, are you sure you're okay?" asked Sasha, concerned for him.  
Zain grinned, and there was no trace that he had ever been in pain. "I'm just fine," he declared. Just then, a loud rumbling noise came from his stomach, sounding almost like an earthquake. "Except I'm starving."  
Just then, the door to the innermost chamber opened up, and Kato came out. Seeing Zain awake and active again, he smiled. "So it worked after all," he said. "Welcome back, Zain."  
"Kato?" Zain responded. "What are you doing here?" He looked around, noticing their surroundings for the first time. "For that matter, where exactly is 'here,' anyway?"  
"I understand your confusion," said Kato. "Come with me; Master Talah Rama wishes to speak with you. We will all fill you in on what has transpired while you were unconscious."  
Zain nodded. "Okay." He slowly got to his feet.  
Sasha stood up with him, remembering something. She reached into her pocket and pulled out Zain's goggles, holding them out for him. "Here, Zain... I kept them safe for you."  
Zain reached out and gently accepted them back, and tied them around his head again; they partially obscured the pseal on his forehead. "Thank you, Sasha."  
The three of them entered the chamber where the sage waited for them.

"...So you see, Zain," finished Talah Rama, "eventually, you will fall to the pseal. Your own identity--that which makes you you--will be obliterated." He sighed and looked down. "I am sorry to have to tell you of such things, but it is the truth."  
Zain understood now. _The darkness from my nightmares... That's what it was. It was trying to absorb me..._  
He faced Talah Rama. "There has to be a way to stop this!" he cried. "There has to be!"  
Talah Rama met Zain's gaze. "The only one who can remove the pseal is the one who placed it upon you in the first place," he said.  
"Kaatz," said Zain. The last thing he remembered before waking up here was Kaatz placing his finger on Zain's forehead, and then there was the pain... "He won't take it off," said Zain. "There has to be some other way."  
"I wish that were true, but it is not," replied Talah Rama. "The counterpseal that I performed will grant you additional protection against the pseal's influence, but it is only temporary." He sighed, appearing more and more weary. "The only other option is to make your remaining time last as long as possible... By not using your PSI."  
Zain stepped backward, surprised. "N-Not using my PSI?" he repeated.  
The sage nodded. "In the end, all that stands between yourself and your ultimate destruction by the pseal, is your PSI," he explained. "The counterpseal allowed you to awaken and function as normal, but ultimately your PSI is your last defense." He raised a hand and pointed to Zain's head. "Your PSI is strong; its powers of self-preservation are mighty indeed. You are unconsciously using it even now to protect yourself from the pseal, even if you do not realize it." He lowered his hand. "What do you suppose will happen if you divert that power in order to, for example, attack your enemies?"  
Kato understood. "If he does that, his PSI will be diverted from protecting himself, and the pseal will gain a greater hold on him all the more quickly."  
"Exactly," said Talah Rama.  
Zain shook his head. "I can't stop using my PSI," he said. "If I don't use it..." He looked at Sasha. "If I don't use it, I won't be able to protect Sasha, or my other friends."  
"Worry not," said Kato with a slight smile. "With this, you won't need to use your PSI."  
Reaching into his cloak, Kato pulled out a weapon... A weapon that Zain had seen, and used, before. Kato held it out to him handle-first; the blade was wrapped in a makeshift sheath.  
Zain looked at it. "Kaatz's Psion Blade...?"  
"I saved it when we escaped from Giaguo," Kato explained. "I have held it for you, so that you may use it again."  
Zain closed his eyes. "But... I don't know how to use a sword," he said.  
"That did not prevent you from defeating Kaatz with it," Kato reminded Zain. "In any case, take it. You were the one who originally took it, and you should have it."  
Reluctantly, Zain took the sword from Kato. Talah Rama looked at it. "Zain," he said, "if you use that weapon, you should remember this: that sword was made to cause pain to others. Anyone with PSI who so much as touches that blade will experience unimaginable pain."  
Kato recalled when he had struck Kaatz with the sword... And the scream of agony that had resulted from it.  
Talah Rama glanced at Kato, and gave a slight, knowing nod in his direction. "A weapon like this, made with the purpose of causing pain to others, is very easy to use for evil," the sage continued. "If you are going to use it, you should remember that."  
Zain nodded. "I understand. I won't use it for the wrong reasons."  
"I do not doubt that," said Talah Rama. "Your sense of right and wrong is perhaps even stronger than your PSI. You have grown much since you first began, have you not?"  
Zain thought back to that first night, back in Primera. The time before that night seemed distant, almost as if it had been part of another life. "...I guess I have," he said thoughtfully.  
Next, Talah Rama looked at Kato's sword. "Prince Kato," he said, "I see you possess the Sword of Kings. I knew that it would eventually pass to you."  
Surprised, Kato looked down at the sword at his side. "Yes, I do have it," he said. "It was given to me by the old master in Dalaam, before I was sent to join Zain."  
"Hand it to me for a moment," requested Talah Rama, without taking his eyes off of it.  
Puzzled, Kato drew the Sword of Kings and handed it to the sage handle-first. "As you wish, Master Talah Rama."  
Taking the sword from Kato, Talah Rama gripped it by the hilt with surprising strength and vigor... And with the air of someone who knew well how to use a sword. Without standing up, he gave it a few practice swings, testing its balance. examined the blade.  
Finally, he looked up at Kato again. "The years have not been kind to this sword," he spoke. "The blade has gone dull. The sword's power has waned greatly since it was first forged."  
Sasha looked at the sword, speaking for the first time. "How can you tell all of that?" she asked.  
Talah Rama returned her gaze and smiled. "I was not always a sage," he responded cryptically. "Compared to some, I started late upon the path of enlightenment."  
Returning his attention to the sword, he continued his explanation of it. "In addition, this sword was not always known as the Sword of Kings," he revealed. "As it was passed to each successive emperor in Dalaam, it came to be called the Sword of Kings when the other sacred heirlooms of the emperor were created." He gestured at Kato's diadem, cloak, and bracer. "This weapon was originally called... the Mother Earth Sword."  
"The Mother Earth Sword...?" Kato repeated.  
"Yes," confirmed the sage. "That is why it is considered to be the counterpart of the Shining Wind Sword, which your friend Deckard possesses."  
Kato looked at the sword. "If it has lost its power," he said, "is there some way to regain it?"  
"I will restore it for you now," said Talah Rama. He closed his eyes for a moment, seeming even more weary than before. "To do so, I will have to use skills that I vowed long ago to never use again, when I started upon the path of enlightenment. But these are desperate times, and therefore we must all use desperate measures. Therefore, I will break my vow."  
Zain, Kato, and Sasha watched as Talah Rama laid the sword in front of him. Gently, he ran his finger along the side of the blade. "For the sake of this world, you must regain your glory," he said, and he drew an unfamiliar-shaped pseal on the blade. "Forge Pseal."  
Kato started in surprise as the blade of his sword began to glow white... And then he felt it. "The... The power!" he cried. He could feel the sheer energy emanating from the sword.  
Finally, the white glow died away. Sasha gasped in surprise as she saw the renewed weapon. The sword looked like it had before, except for the blade... "Is that... amethyst?" she asked.  
"It is," said Talah Rama. The blade was now made of amethyst; Kato could see through it if he looked. "It is also a great deal sharper than before, and all of its power has been restored to it."  
The sage picked up the sword and held it out to Kato. "You may take it back now," he said. "It belongs to you."  
Kato reverently accepted the sword. Holding it in his hands, he felt stronger than he ever had before. "This is the real Sword of Kings," he declared. "This is... The Mother Earth Sword." He slowly sheathed it. "You have my utmost gratitude, Master Talah Rama."  
"As long as you never use it for the wrong reasons, that will be repayment enough," replied the sage.  
Next, Talah Rama turned his attention to Sasha. "You will need a weapon as well, Sasha," he said. "All of you will be pitted against ever more deadly challenges in the future. You should carry more than a simple child's toy with which to protect yourself."  
Sasha nodded knowingly. Against the enemies that they had been fighting lately, her slingshot seemed woefully inadequate.  
From inside the folds of his robe, Talah Rama procured a shortbow. It was exquisitely carved from some type of wood that Sasha could not identify, and its string was like a strand of silver light. In all, Sasha had never seen such a beautiful weapon before.  
"This is the Bow of Lumina," said the sage. "It was made by... the same person who created the Mother Earth Sword and Shining Wind Sword."  
_Bow of Lumina?_ Sasha thought to herself. _Could it be related to Lumina Pillar, my Sanctuary?_ She looked at the bow, reaching out uncertainly to take it. "I... I don't know how to use a bow," she said.  
"Do not worry; I am certain that you will learn it quickly," Talah Rama assured her. "Unfortunately, I do not have any arrows for you... But you should be able to acquire some once you have left here."  
Sasha accepted the bow with gratitude. "Thank you."  
Finally, the sage turned to Zain. "Regretfully, there is nothing that I can give you," he told him. "However, the weapon you now hold will be adequate for you." He spread his arms wide. "Instead, Zain, I offer you information. Ask me what you will, and I will answer to the best of my ability."  
"Okay, then," said Zain; he had a question that had been nagging at the back of his mind since he had first met Sasha. "What, exactly, is a pseal?"  
Talah Rama nodded. "It is only natural that you would be curious about that," he said. "Very well; I shall explain to you the nature of pseals."

"PSI is the power of the mind over matter and energy," Talah Rama explained. "Those who possess PSI can bend the forces of nature to their will, to the point where even the mysteries of the truth of time and space can be solved."  
"However," he continued, "even with all of the possibility that PSI offers, the structure of its conventional use is limited."  
"Limited?" Kato repeated. "I do not understand."  
Talah Rama focused on him. "How do you use your PSI, Prince Kato?" he asked.  
Puzzled, Kato answered. "I use it as I have been taught by the old master, and by Emperor P... By my father. To use PSI, it is necessary concentrate mental energy, until one has mustered enough energy to use the ability that he or she wants to. One forms a mental image of that ability in his or her mind, and thus the mental energy begins to take form." He paused. "Finally, one utters the name of the ability; the name gives the ability meaning and completes the formation of the power. In this way, PSI is manifested as an effect upon the material world."  
Talah Rama nodded, impressed. "You know how it works very well, Prince Kato," he said in praise.  
"That's amazing, Kato," said Sasha, equally impressed. "I've never been able to put into words how PSI works, even though all of my family has it."  
Kato shook his head. "It is not so amazing. In Dalaam, the study of PSI is very refined and structured. Those who have PSI, such as the bloodline of the emperor that I share, have structured it to an art form."  
Zain looked at Sasha and Kato. "I never thought about it like that," he said. "I don't do any of that when I use my PSI..."  
"That is because you are an empathic psychic," Talah Rama told him. "Your power is based not upon concentration and mental processes, but upon your emotions--your wants, needs, and instincts. Your power is invoked because you will it to be, though it also protects you of its own accord as it is doing even now."  
Reminded of the pseal, Zain fell silent. Sasha noticed this and moved closer to him.  
"You know well the conventional use of PSI, Prince Kato," Talah Rama continued. "However, that conventional use is still limited. This structured use results in a one-time, instantaneous effect. Even abilities such as Hypnosis, which causes your target to fall into a deep sleep, wear off as time passes."  
Now Kato understood. "That is why pseals were developed," he realized. "To create a permanent or lasting effect from PSI."  
The sage nodded. "Exactly, Prince Kato. This is precisely why the first pseals were developed, although later ones, such as the Inferno Pseal, were also created that mimic the instantaneous effect of conventional PSI." He looked at Zain knowingly.  
Sasha reached up and felt her forehead, where her father's Prescient Pseal still was. Her great-grandfather had created this pseal to suppress her family's Premonition ability; that was indeed a lasting effect. "How do you use a pseal?" she asked.  
"Parts of the process, such as concentration and naming, are similar to the conventional use of PSI," said Talah Rama. "In order to draw a pseal, however, you must be able to concentrate mental energy AND direct its flow through your body. You must be able to direct the flow of the PSI to whichever extremity that you wish to draw the pseal with. Typically, this would be your index finger, although you could use another finger if you wished, or in theory, one of your toes. Then, to draw the pseal, you must draw a symbol that represents the pseal's power, while simultaneously releasing some of the mental energy from your finger. The pseal can be drawn on a surface or even upon the very air itself."  
Zain, Sasha, and Kato listened to the sage intently. _Kaatz must be very good at directing mental energy from his body,_ Kato thought. _That would explain why he is so skilled at using pseals._  
"Finally," Talah Rama finished, "you utter the name of the pseal you are using. This finalizes the pseal's form and invokes its effect. If you have performed the pseal correctly, it will then achieve the desired effect."  
"So that is how it is done," said Kato. "I shall have to practice this."  
The sage looked at him. "If you do attempt this, Prince Kato, you must be very careful," he said. "Mental energy is a very dangerous thing to direct through your body. If you do not concentrate it properly, it could backfire upon you; if that happens, the results would be disastrous." He pointed at Kato's right arm. "You could lose the arm that you try to draw the pseal with." Lowering his arm, he smiled slightly. "If you wish to learn how to direct mental energy properly, ask your friend Deckard when you see him again. He is very skilled at it, and can teach you."  
Kato remembered Deckard's ultimate technique, PSI Eternal Wind Sword. _When he uses that technique,_ Kato realized, _he courses mental energy not only through his arm, but throughout his entire body. He MUST be skilled at doing so, or he would destroy himself._  
Sasha thought back to their last encounter with Kaatz. "Zain, you used a pseal when you fought Kaatz," she remembered.  
Zain started in surprise. "I... I guess I did," he responded. The memory of that fight was still hazy for him.  
"He did, although it is surprising," commented Talah Rama. "Empathic psychics normally do not have the discipline in their power to draw a pseal; it requires great concentration to do so. You must be very powerful indeed, Zain, if you can draw a pseal through will alone."  
Zain shrugged. "I just wanted Kaatz to stop trying to hurt my friends," he said. "I don't really understand how I did it. But thanks for answering my question, Talah Rama."  
"It is nothing," the sage replied. He sighed, seeming even more weary than before. "However, our time together is drawing to a close. As much as I would like to guide you more, there is something that you must do... And you must do it soon."  
"What do you mean?" asked Sasha.  
"The Chosen Eight are still incomplete," replied Talah Rama. "There are seven of you, but there is still one left."  
Zain nodded. "That's right, we still haven't found the last one yet."  
"I can show you where to find her," said Talah Rama. "However, she is currently in grave danger. In order to complete the Chosen Eight, you must rescue her from this danger."  
"Then we'll do it," said Zain. "Where can we find her?"  
Talah Rama looked at the three of them. "You will find the last of the Chosen Eight in the city of Ellay, in the country of America."  
"America?" Sasha repeated. "How are we supposed to get there from here?"  
The sage smiled. "Worry not, Sasha," he said. "I will give you the power to move through space as you wish."  
Kato's jaw dropped. "You mean..."  
"Yes, Prince Kato," Talah Rama confirmed with a nod. "I am going to teach you PSI teleportation."

**_To be continued..._**


	31. Earthbound 202X Part 31

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 31: Fourside**

When they emerged from Talah Rama's cave, the sun had already risen. Judging from the sun's position, Kato figured that it must be about mid-morning.  
After Zain, Sasha, and Kato exited the cave, the sage Talah Rama exited behind them. He moved slowly and calmly, as if he were carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders but had been used to it for a long time.  
"The sun has risen," Talah Rama commented. "I shall have to teach you quickly; the desert is not very hospitable during the day."  
Zain looked at him, squinting in the bright sunlight; he wished he had some sunglasses. "So how does this work?" he asked. "How do we teleport?"  
"I am going to teach Sasha a basic teleportation ability," Talah Rama answered. "From her, Prince Kato can learn it as well. You too will learn it, Zain; you should pick it up simply by seeing it performed." He turned to Sasha. "Come here, child."  
Sasha went over to him. "Please teach me, Master Talah Rama," she said.  
The sage smiled at her. "Before we begin, Sasha, I will explain what you can do with this power. Once you have learned this technique, you will be able to instantly return to any place you have ever been to before." He nodded knowingly. "At some point in the future, you can visit your family with ease."  
Sasha thought about this. It felt like forever since she had been home; the idea that she could go home instantly if she wished was very appealing.  
"But why can she only go to a place she's been to before?" asked Zain. "I don't understand."  
Talah Rama turned to him. "In order to teleport to a particular location in space, you must have a reference of that place; what it is and where it is. In other words, you need a memory of the place you are going to. Without that, teleportation is impossible."  
"I see," said Kato, understanding. "Are there any other limitations to this power?"  
The sage nodded. "For the variant that I am going to teach you, there is one other limitation," he revealed. "In order to invoke this ability, you must have an open space; enough room to make a good running start. Therefore, you will usually be unable to use this power indoors, unless you are in a very large room."  
Zain blinked. "A running start?" he repeated. "What for?"  
"It is necessary," said Talah Rama. He looked at Kato. "Prince Kato, perhaps you can explain," he suggested, almost as if he were giving a quiz.  
Kato thought about it, and suddenly he had it. "I can," he replied.  
Zain and Sasha turned to him. "What is it, Kato?" asked Sasha.  
Kato looked at all of them. "It must require a great deal of energy to teleport," he explained. "Much more energy than can normally be gathered through concentration. Therefore, in order to teleport, one must gather more energy--kinetic energy, which is built up by running."  
Talah Rama nodded, impressed. "Well done, Prince Kato," he praised. "That is exactly the reason."  
Zain thought back to the one time where he had seen a teleport performed. "But Karen can teleport without running," he pointed out.  
"Yes, she can," agreed the sage. "Your friend Karen knows the second variant, Teleport Beta. The Beta variant gathers the required kinetic energy by creating a spiraling whirlwind." He looked at Sasha. "The variant that I am going to teach to Sasha, the Alpha variant, is the most basic Teleport ability. As you use this power and become experienced with it, you will eventually master the Beta variant."  
He smiled at Sasha. "Now we will begin," he said. "Sasha, where would you like to try teleporting to?"  
Sasha thought about it. It would be nice for her to go home and see her family, but now was not the time for that... Not if the last member of the Chosen Eight needed their help. Finally she decided. "I want to go to Primera, in Hawkland," she declared. "To the bus stop where I first met Zain." She looked at Zain and smiled.  
"Very well then," said Talah Rama. "Now close your eyes, and picture that place in your mind."  
Sasha closed her eyes and did as she was asked. "Good," said Talah Rama. "Now, imagine that the place you wish to go to is right in front of you," he instructed. "Free your mind; pretend that such limitations as distance and direction don't exist."  
Sasha did so; to her, it really seemed as if that place was right before her. While she did so, the sage continued. "Now concentrate," he told her. "Build up your mental energy, while still picturing that place."  
Without letting go of her mental image, Sasha began to concentrate, gathering energy. Zain and Kato watched, both of them also taking in the sage's instructions.  
"Now execute the technique," said Talah Rama. "And while still keeping your destination in focus... Run, Sasha. Run as fast as you can."  
Sasha opened her eyes. "Teleport Alpha."  
With that, she started running. It was hard for her to run through the sand, but she managed nonetheless. She ran and ran, building up speed, focusing on her destination. Something felt strange; she felt as though her gathered mental energy was being augmented, somehow; it was becoming larger and larger with every step. She ran as hard and as fast as she could, until...  
Suddenly, there was a loud crack and a flash of light.

Suddenly Sasha found herself running down a street in Primera. Startled, she tripped and fell, sprawling to a stop.  
"Ow..." She slowly stood up, brushed herself off, and looked around.  
She was actually there. There was the bus stop sign; this was the place where she had first stepped off of a bus and met the boy from her dreams.  
"It feels like it's been forever since that time..." Sasha said to herself, remembering. This place would always be special to her; it was the place where she had first met her truest friend.  
She looked around some more. People who had previously been going about their business had stopped, and were staring at her as if she had suddenly appeared out of thin air...  
Then it hit her--she HAD appeared out of thin air! To most people, that would be a very strange thing indeed. _I'll have to be more careful from now on when I teleport into the middle of a city,_ Sasha promised herself.  
All of the attention, the staring, was unnerving her. It was time to go back to Zain and Kato. Sasha closed her eyes and pictured the place that she had just left, and concentrated. "Teleport Alpha."  
She took off running down the street, building up speed, until...

Zain and Kato stared at the place where Sasha had just been. "It... It really worked!" exclaimed Zain.  
"Of course it worked," agreed Kato. "You were expecting it not to work?"  
Zain shook his head. "No, it's not that. It's just... I guess the idea of being able to instantly move around the world is kind of hard for me to swallow."  
Kato nodded, understanding. Compared to the rest of them, Zain had had little experience with teleportation. He had only seen Karen do it once; every other time, he had been unconscious. _I suppose he is still new to it,_ Kato thought to himself.  
Talah Rama came over to them. "Prince Kato, have you learned enough now to also use Teleport Alpha?" he asked.  
"Yes," Kato answered without hesitation. "I closely listened to your instructions to Sasha. I will be able to use the power as well, now." As he said this, the words of the old master once again came back to him: _When you have mastered the power of teleportation, you must return to Dalaam, with Zain and your other companions._ Now that time had finally come to pass. _I must return to Dalaam, and I must bring Zain and Sasha and the others with me,_ Kato thought. But at the same time, he realized that he could not do so yet; for one thing, not all of his companions were with him. _And also, the last member of the Chosen Eight is in danger,_ Kato reminded himself. _Her safety must take precedence._  
The sage smiled. "Good." He turned to Zain. "And you, Zain? It should be similar for you, minus the concentration. Have you also learned the skill?"  
Zain nodded. "I learned it as well, Talah Rama," he said. "Though I don't know how much good it will do, if I'm not supposed to use my PSI."  
"Do not be so quick to give up on yourself, Zain," the sage admonished him. "You may indeed have a use for this power someday. Have hope."  
Just then, there was a loud crack and a flash of light, and Sasha reappeared, running toward them. She slipped in the sand and fell on her back, sliding to a stop in front of them.  
"Sasha!" cried Zain. He reached down and pulled her to her feet. "Are you okay?"  
Sasha smiled sheepishly, brushing sand off of herself. "I'm fine," she replied. "I guess I'm not very good at reentries."  
"Never mind about that," said Zain. "That was amazing. You can teleport now!" He helped to brush the sand off of her. "Did you see Primera?"  
Sasha nodded. "I teleported right to the bus stop where I first met you," she said. "I... kind of startled a lot of people."  
Zain laughed. "I'll bet."  
"We shall have to be cautious when teleporting within populated areas," Kato pointed out.  
Talah Rama spoke up. "Now that you are able to teleport, Sasha," he said, "it is time for the three of you to go. The last member of the Chosen Eight needs you, and you need her."  
"That may be," agreed Zain, "but how are we supposed to get to America, even with Teleport Alpha? I've never been anywhere in America."  
"Neither have I," Kato added. "And we are unable to teleport to a place we have never been to."  
"No, neither of you have been there," the sage confirmed. "But Sasha has." He looked at her.  
Both Zain and Kato turned to Sasha. "You've been to America?" Zain asked her.  
Sasha nodded slowly. "When Dad was working at the America branch of Orange Enterprises in Merrysville, he received a few days of vacation," she explained. "So since he hadn't been home for a while, he had Mom and I fly out to Reindeer, and the three of us stayed there on vacation for a few days." She shook her head. "But that was twelve years ago. I was only four years old back then; I barely remember it..."  
"That matters not," the sage informed her. "As old as the memory is--no matter how far it has receded into the depths of your mind--the memory is still there. Search deep within your heart, and you will find it."  
"But even if that will work," Zain pointed out, "we would teleport to Reindeer, not Ellay. How would we--"  
"The railroad," Sasha answered him. "There's a railroad line that runs through Reindeer and ends at Ellay. We can use that to travel to Ellay."  
"Precisely," agreed Talah Rama. "See, your memory is already resurfacing. Search within yourself and draw the memory forth, and then use it to travel to your destination."  
Sasha closed her eyes and thought back. She tried to remember what the streets of Reindeer looked like, and what the buildings looked like. She tried to remember how the cityscape had looked at night, as she sat on her father's shoulder while they stood together on the balcony of their hotel room...  
"I remember," said Sasha. She opened her eyes and looked at Talah Rama.  
The sage, sensing what she was about to ask next, answered her unspoken question. "You can take Zain and Kato with you when you teleport," he explained. "Simply include them in your focus when you concentrate for your teleport. Of course, they will also have to run, to provide the energy that is needed."  
"Okay then," said Sasha. She turned to her friends. "Are you ready to go?" she asked.  
Zain nodded. "I'm ready whenever you are," he answered.  
"I am prepared as well," said Kato.  
"Then let's go to Reindeer," Sasha declared. "When I use Teleport Alpha, start running with me."  
She turned to Talah Rama. "Thank you for everything, Master Talah Rama," she said gratefully.  
The sage smiled. "You are welcome, Sasha," he replied. "Remember what I told you, and never lose hope." He glanced at Kato. "That goes for you as well, Prince."  
"I shall remember, great sage," Kato promised, recalling their private conversation.  
Sasha looked towards the horizon and closed her eyes, concentrating. She focused on her destination, imagining it to be right in front of her. Then she focused on Zain and Kato, including them in the teleport.  
Finally, she opened her eyes and executed the technique. "Teleport Alpha."  
Sasha started running, and Zain and Kato started running with her. As before, it was hard for Sasha to run through the sand. Zain was having trouble as well, but Kato, fleet of foot as ever, seemed to float over the sand as he ran. Together, the three of them ran as fast and as hard as they could, building up speed. Sasha began to feel the energy buildup, same as before, except it was now coming from all three of them. They ran on and on toward the horizon...  
There was a loud crack and a flash of light, and the three of them disappeared from the desert.

Left to himself, Talah Rama sighed and looked at the sun. As much as he hated to admit it, old age was slowly catching up with him. It would not be long before his own long journey finally came to its end.  
"So you do come out of that hole every once in a while," said a voice from behind him. "I must admit, I was beginning to have my doubts."  
Talah Rama did not turn around. "It was necessary, La-Renz," he replied. "My servants returned to the Deep Darkness years ago. I had to teach them the ability myself."  
La-Renz nodded. "So you did." He pulled down his scarf; the stubble on his face indicated that he had not shaved for a long time. "In any case, I'm surprised that you broke the vow and used the Forge Pseal again. I certainly didn't expect that."  
"That too was necessary," the sage answered. "These young ones are fighting for our world, La-Renz." He turned around. "I swore all those years ago that I would never use the Forge Pseal again... That I would never again create a weapon. Not after creating those four swords." He sighed heavily. "But I no longer have the luxury of deciding whether or not to use my skills; the young ones needed my help, and so I was obligated to give it to them."  
"Hmmph." La-Renz folded his arms. "I never did agree with the way you just decided to disappear from the world and live in a hole in the ground." He shook his head. "But it was your choice to do so."  
The sage nodded. "So it was."  
Talah Rama sighed heavily and sat down in the sand. "It was long ago, and I was much younger, and more foolish. I forged weapons, La-Renz; I used the Forge Pseal to create terrible weapons without giving a thought to what people were doing with them. But I gradually came to understand the truth, La-Renz."  
He looked up at the other man. "The weapons I made were instruments of death, La-Renz," he continued. "People used what I had created to slay the innocent and bring great suffering."  
"They also used what you had created to save lives and protect those who could not protect themselves," La-Renz reminded him. "The emperors of Dalaam have never misused the Mother Earth Sword; they used it to protect their people."  
Talah Rama looked away. "And the evil mass murderer who stole the Blazing Fire Sword that I had made visited terrible harm upon those same people."  
The other man did not back down. "And the hero who carried the Shining Wind Sword put an end to his carnage," he retorted.  
The sage shook his head. "This arguing gets us nowhere," he said, standing up. "In any case, as I said, I can no longer refuse to use my skills in these times of trial. To be that selfish could mean the end for Zain and his friends, and therefore the end for this world."  
"If you feel that way," said La-Renz, "why did you lead Zain and his friends to believe that time and the future are set in stone? Both of us know that the future is not static; it can be changed."  
"Yes, I know," replied Talah Rama. "And you of all people should understand that, old friend, considering that you have directly altered the future on at least two occasions. But I think that they will learn more when they discover the truth on their own."  
He sighed again. "I could have told them everything, La-Renz. I could have told them everything I know, everything I have learned over these many years." The sage spread his arms wide. "But would they truly gain anything from that knowledge? When you teach someone, La-Renz, you cannot simply tell them everything... If you do, will they have truly learned it? True, they may know it, but do they really understand it?"  
La-Renz nodded. "I get what you're trying to say," he said. "I just hope that when they do finally understand, it isn't too late."  
"It is a risk," Talah Rama agreed. "But a necessary one. Those young people are the Chosen Eight; it is by their actions that the future of our planet will be decided." He smiled slightly. "But we cannot forget that those eight are only human, and young humans at that." His smile widened. "And what do you suppose happens when you tell a young person that they cannot do something?"  
A silent moment passed between the two men. "...I suppose you're right," La-Renz finally said. "I guess I should know that better than anyone..." He paused. "So what will you do now?"  
"I am going to leave the desert," the sage answered, turning to face away from La-Renz. "I think I shall seek out another old acquaintance of ours. What are you going to do, La-Renz?"  
The other man turned away. "I'm going to find the other four youths, and watch over them, for a time," he answered.  
"Very well, then," said Talah Rama. "I will see you again in the future, then."  
"In the future," La-Renz repeated.  
Talah Rama turned around. The empty desert greeted him. "...He is not very good with goodbyes," the sage commented.  
A snarl from behind him proved that he wasn't alone after all. Talah Rama glanced over his shoulder at the source of the noise.  
It was a large yellow striped lizardlike creature with a red and white crest on top of its head. "A Crested Booka," the sage identified.  
What most people called the Madness shone in the creature's eyes as it rose up on its hind legs and brandished its talons at the old man.  
Talah Rama stared the creature in the eyes. "I don't suppose that you might leave me alone," he suggested.  
The Crested Booka answered his proposal by letting out a shrill shriek and charging at him. Talah Rama sighed. "So be it."  
The creature leapt at the sage, ready to rend him apart...  
A red double-edged blade flashed in the sunlight. The Crested Booka was bisected before it hit the ground. The remains caught on fire and burned away; soon nothing remained of the creature but ash.  
Talah Rama looked at the sword in his hand. "I am sorry, poor creature," he said. "This Blazing Fire Sword is nothing but an instrument of death." He sheathed the sword back inside his robes where it had been hidden. "If only the aliens had not invaded this planet, I might have been able to hold to my vow..."  
He turned back and looked at the sun again. "But it seems that destiny intends to deny my wish." He looked down at his hands. "It is time for me to seek out the Star Master. I have one more sword to forge before I can rest..."

After finally emerging from the last tunnel, the van entered the giant city of Fourside. The passengers of the van looked around in awe as Apple Man drove them through the city.  
Karen, always interested in large metropolitan areas, gasped in awe at the grandeur of the city around her. "Wow!" she cried. "I had no idea Fourside was so big! It looks even bigger than Quattro City!"  
"It is," confirmed Kyla, recalling the information from one of her classes. "Not only does Fourside encompass a larger area than Quattro City, but its population is about 1.5 times as large."  
Guy thought for a moment. "It was necessary for us to cross a bridge in order to arrive here," he recalled. "Does this mean that Fourside is on an island?"  
"Yeah, it's on an island," Apple Man answered. "Although, the island Fourside was built on is really close to the mainland, so no one really thinks of it as an island."  
Kyla nodded in agreement. "The part of the ocean separating Fourside from the mainland is really only a narrow channel." She looked at her father. "Did you come here often, Dad?"  
Apple Man shrugged. "Every once in a while, I used to come here in the Phase Distorter III to buy supplies for Jeff and I back at the lab," he explained. "I don't spend a lot of time here, though; cities like this are too crowded for me. I like more rural areas with wide open spaces, like Twoson, or at least what Twoson used to be."  
Deckard sat back in his seat. "If you like wide open spaces, Apple Man, you should visit America," he suggested. "I spent some time there once; the whole country is rural, wide open space."  
"Except for the Merrysville and Reindeer areas," Kyla amended. "Especially Merrysville. In the last 30 years, it's grown bigger than Fourside."  
"Bigger than this city?" Karen piped up. "I'd like to see it sometime."  
Apple Man glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "Actually, Karen, this city might be more interesting for you," he told her. "From what I understand, Jeff and your father spent a long time here during their journey."  
"Really?" said Karen. She looked at the city around them in a new light.  
"Actually," added Kyla, recalling some information from a history class, "Ness is responsible for toppling the corrupt Mayor Monotoli, who was working for Giygas."  
Apple Man nodded. "Yeah, he and Jeff did it," he said. "Besides beating Giygas himself--er, itself--it was one of their biggest accomplishments on their journey. Today, Fourside's local government is an elected city council, a system that was implemented in the hopes of preventing another Monotoli."

Finally Apple Man pulled the van to a stop in front of the hotel. "This is it," he said. "This is the Monotoli Grand Hotel. From here, you can get some rest and organize your search for the next Sanctuary."  
"I guess this is goodbye, then," said Deckard.  
"For now," Apple Man replied. Deckard nodded.  
Kyla stared at her father. Ever since he had come to take her out of school, this was going to be the first time he would be apart from her; she had gotten used to having him around. "I... I'm going to miss you, Dad," she said, trying to keep her voice level.  
Apple Man smiled at her. "It's not going to be for that long," he reminded her. "Once the four of you find the next Sanctuary, I'll see you again in Twoson. Okay?"  
Kyla nodded. "Okay."  
"Alright then," said Apple Man. "All of you, take care of yourselves." He turned to Karen. "And Karen, if something happens and the four of you run into trouble, then don't hesitate to teleport all of you back to my house in Twoson."  
"I won't," Karen agreed. "I'll see you once we have the fourth Sanctuary." She stood and exited the van.  
Deckard stood up as well. "Take care of yourself, Apple Man," he said.  
"Don't worry about me," Apple Man replied. "You be careful out there." Recalling Deckard's near-death experience in the encounter with Kaatz, he added, "And don't be so quick to fall back on that sword technique. Don't use it unless it's your last resort."  
Deckard winced. "I won't," he promised. He turned and got out of the van.  
Kyla hugged her father, trying hard not to shed any tears. "I love you, Dad..."  
Apple Man held his daughter softly, and was filled with deep regret. _If only I could have been there to watch her grow up, to hold her like this all the time..._ He closed his eyes. "I love you too, Kyla," he said. "Don't worry; you'll see me again soon enough." Kyla reluctantly let go of him and left the van.  
Guy, the last to leave, began to rise from his seat. "Just a minute, Guy," Apple Man said. "I have something to ask of you."  
"Of course," said Guy, slightly puzzled. "What is the matter?"  
Apple Man looked at him; he still remembered one of the times he had come to visit Kyla at school, and Guy had been there; Guy had been a lot smaller then. _How things change..._ he thought. He paused for a moment. "You are Kyla's best friend, Guy," he said. "She trusts you above anyone else. Please... Please take good care of her."  
Guy nodded, understanding. "I give you my solemn promise that I shall," he swore. "As long as any life remains within my body, I shall."  
"I know you will," said Apple Man. "I know you'd do it anyway. It's just... I had to ask..."  
Guy smiled. "Do not worry about it," he reassured him. "You are a good father, Apple Man; Kyla is very fortunate." He left the van.  
Apple Man shut the door, and started the van again. He looked at the four youths outside; they were watching him, waiting for him to drive away. Kyla noticed him looking and waved at him; Apple Man waved back.  
He looked at Guy, standing next to his daughter. _Kyla IS very fortunate,_ Apple Man agreed, _to have a friend like you, Guy._  
With that thought, Apple Man put the van in gear and drove away.

**_To be continued..._**


	32. Earthbound 202X Part 32

_**Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight**_

**Part 32: The Statue**

"Master Giaguo, please let me go after her again," Mister P pleaded. "I swear I'll get her next time! I won't fail!"  
Giaguo stared at him with his black eyes; he had returned to his true form and the environment tank. "That is what you swore to me last time, Pokey," he replied, an aura of irritation pervading his voice. "And because you failed, Target Priority Three was able to interfere with my own operation, Pokey!"  
Mister P spread his arms. "But Master Giaguo, she has developed empathic PSI!" he told him. "I wasn't equipped to deal with something like that!"  
The alien's eyes narrowed. "It is always an excuse with you, Pokey," he stated. "From what you have told me, whatever empathic powers she has developed pale in comparison to those of Zain. If you cannot be relied upon to defeat a single human girl, then what use are you?"  
"But her powers ARE weaker than Zain's!" Pokey agreed. "She had to throw everything she had at me to break my shield! So if I can just get some more equipment, maybe a stronger shield..."  
"No," Giaguo rejected emphatically. "I tire of your failures, Pokey. Leave my sight."  
Mister P's hands clenched into fists. He too was tired--tired of being made a fool of by the last remnant of HIM. _Every time I fail to kill her, HE mocks me,_ he thought, becoming even angrier. "But Master Giaguo--" he started.  
"Leave my sight now," Giaguo repeated slowly and calmly, "or I will erase you from existence with a thought."  
Mister P's anger faded as he suddenly--and almost too late--realized the grave danger he was in. He quickly scurried out of the chamber, trying not to break into a run.  
A moment later, the door opened again, and Kaatz entered the chamber. "Kaatz," said Giaguo in greeting. "How is your wound?"  
Kaatz reached up and felt his left shoulder, where Kato had pierced it. "It has been repaired satisfactorily," he answered. "If the wound hadn't been made with a Psion Blade, I could have healed it myself, but wounds made with a Psion Blade are resistant to PSI healing."  
"Indeed," agreed Giaguo.  
"I noticed Mister P hurrying away from here as I arrived," Kaatz mentioned. "I am surprised that you did not obliterate him for his failure."  
Giaguo closed his eyes partway, and Kaatz suddenly came under the impression that if the alien were capable of sighing in this form, he would. "I nearly did," Giaguo admitted. "Ever since this current campaign began, he has failed every mission I have given him. It is because he failed to subdue Target Priority Three that the Chosen Eight escaped us." He paused for a moment. "But what he said is partially true. Since Target Priority Three has developed empathic PSI, Pokey could not be expected to deal with such a situation. That is why I did not kill him."  
He opened his eyes all the way and focused on Kaatz. "But you, Kaatz, are the opposite. You have served me very well in recent times, and I am pleased with the results that you have given me thus far."  
Kaatz bowed. "Thank you, Master Giaguo. You are too kind."  
"I speak only the truth," Giaguo stated. "I am not an unkind master; those who serve me well are rewarded. And you shall be rewarded, Kaatz, once this planet has finally been subjugated."  
Kaatz looked at him. "Is there any mission that I can perform for you, Master Giaguo?" he asked.  
"No," the master replied. "You have earned a respite, Kaatz. I shall send one of my other generals to carry out the next phase."  
Kaatz blinked his left eye curiously. "Who do you have in mind, Master Giaguo?"  
"Magnaut," Giaguo answered. "I believe that he should be sufficient for the next phase."  
"I see," said Kaatz unemotionally. He suddenly looked down as his right arm twitched.  
Giaguo noticed his reaction. "What is the matter with your artificial arm?" he asked.  
"It's been twitching like this every once in a while, ever since I was wounded by the Psion Blade," explained Kaatz. He clenched and unclenched his metal right hand a few times. "The circuitry may have been damaged by the energy released when I was wounded."  
"Then report to Hadurr and have him inspect your implants," Giaguo ordered.  
"Yes, Master Giaguo," said Kaatz. He turned and left the chamber.

Kaatz walked down the hallway, heading for the deck teleporter. He knew every inch of this mothership, for it had been his home for the past 16 of his race's years.  
As he walked, he passed several members of various subservient races, going about their assigned tasks. Kaatz sniffed the air as he realized that it smelled funny; the life-support technicians must have adjusted the air mixture again.  
His thought was interrupted as a small hoverdisc floated near him. Known by the Chosen Four as "lil' UFOs," hoverdiscs were used by the master's race for a variety of purposes. The ones deployed to Earth's surface by Giygas-12162203616-630 thirty Earth years ago had been battle models; this one was a data model, designed to support the slave races in their tasks. "Stop," Kaatz ordered it. "I require information."  
The hoverdisc stopped in midair and rotated toward him, its optical sensors focusing on him. "What do you require, Lord Kaatz?" it responded in a genderless, monotone voice; these hoverdiscs had been programmed to speak the human language ever since the original attempt to conquer Earth by Giegue.  
"Tell me if Hadurr is in his workshop," Kaatz commanded.  
The hoverdisc was silent for a moment, communicating with the other hoverdiscs on the mothership and checking their data. "As of the last time cycle, Hadurr was last observed in his workshop," the device answered.  
"Good," said Kaatz. "Go about your business now."  
The hoverdisc moved on, following its programmed route. Kaatz stared after it for a moment--and suddenly his right vision started flickering. Caught off guard, Kaatz blinked rapidly in reflex, even though his left eye had nothing to do with his optical sensor.  
After a moment, the vision in his optical sensor returned to normal, allowing him to see with two eyes again. But now Kaatz knew that something was indeed wrong with his implants; if he let this go, Kaatz risked the possibility of something even worse happening.  
He quickly strode away, toward the deck teleporter.

Finally, Kaatz reached the workshop. And not a moment too soon; his right arm had begun twitching again.  
The workshop was cluttered, as it always was, with various parts and machinery. Kaatz looked around, but didn't see Hadurr; was it possible that Hadurr was not in after all?  
"Hadurr!" Kaatz called. "Come out here! I require repairs!"  
From behind one of the piles of machinery, an eyestalk poked out, glaring at Kaatz. "I see your manners still haven't improved, Kaatz," said Hadurr, disgruntled.  
The eyestalk receded behind the pile, and an elderly Mook crawled out on some of his tentacles; his skin was wrinkled all over, and his color had faded. "In any case, why else would you be here?" Hadurr asked. "You never come to visit me, you only come when something goes wrong with your implants."  
"And something is going wrong with them now," Kaatz stated, getting to the point. "I think something's wrong with the circuitry. My arm has been twitching recently." As if to prove his claim, Kaatz's right arm began twitching again just then.  
"That doesn't mean a circuitry problem," Hadurr retorted, closing his eyestalks halfway. "Something could be wrong with the motor functions."  
Kaatz nodded. "That is true. But my optical sensor has also been giving me problems, so I am more inclined to attribute this to a circuitry malfunction."  
Hadurr thought for a moment. "You might be right," he decided. "So come over, and let's have a look. But I'll have to open you up, so this will take several hours. I hope you don't have to be anywhere soon."  
"I don't," Kaatz assured him. "Master Giaguo has given me a respite from my duties."  
"Good," said Hadurr, pleased. "Let's get to work, then."

Slowly, the alien approached the door that led to the master's chamber. It had been a long time since Master Giaguo had called HIM here personally; not since the human...  
He interrupted his reflections; Master Giaguo would be annoyed if he took too long. He slowly walked toward the door, which opened for him.  
The master's chamber was empty, or so it appeared. The alien stared at a portion of the back wall; it seemed that the master was currently secluded in his own private inner chamber. "Master Giaguo, I have come as you requested," he stated.  
"So you have, Magnaut," replied Giaguo's voice.  
The alien named Magnaut stepped forward. Magnaut was a Harduim, one of a race of reptilian aliens who hailed from a faraway system elsewhere in the galaxy. He looked almost like a human--however, Magnaut had no hair, and instead of mammalian skin, his entire body was covered in iridescent reddish-orange scales. He was dressed in his usual garb, a loose-fitting blood-red cloak; the stub protruding from his backside underneath the cloak marked the existence of a vestigial tail.  
Magnaut's eyes, slitted like a snake's, stared at the back wall, which he knew Master Giaguo was behind. "If I may ask a question, Master Giaguo?" he posed.  
"Very well," answered the master's voice. "Ask."  
His stare unwavering from the back wall, Magnaut asked, "Why have you summoned me, your former right hand, to your presence, Master Giaguo? Has something happened to Kaatz?" The Harduim licked his lips with his forked tongue, hoping that his question regarding Kaatz hadn't seemed too eager.  
"Kaatz is irrelevant to this conversation," Giaguo's voice responded. "I have summoned you because I have a task for my old right hand. Will you do it?"  
It was not a request. Giaguo knew that Magnaut resented being replaced by Kaatz; the words were a test to see if he would push his luck too far. But Magnaut knew better. "I am yours to command, Master Giaguo, as is every other being on this ship," Magnaut replied.  
"Very good," said Giaguo. "Your task is this: you will descend to the planet's surface to the assigned coordinates, and you will lead the next offensive there."  
Magnaut blinked, surprised; he hadn't expected this. He had not been assigned to lead an offensive in many of his planet's orbital cycles. Did this mean that he was beginning to regain Master Giaguo's favor? "As you wish, Master Giaguo," he said.  
But there was another concern, one that had become a major topic of conversation among all of the slaves on the ship. "But what if the Chosen Eight appear and cause trouble?" Magnaut asked.  
"It is unlikely that they will appear to harass you, for they were recently dealt a heavy blow," Giaguo stated. "In the event that they do, you are to destroy them; they should be no match for your ability. However, the priority targets are to be captured alive; you should know who they are."  
Magnaut bowed. "As you wish, Master Giaguo." He turned and left the chamber.

"There," said Hadurr. The alien made one final adjustment, and removed his tools from inside Kaatz's face implant, setting them aside. "I've just reactivated your face implant."  
Just then, Kaatz's optical sensor's display came back on, giving him as close as he could get to two eyes once more. He looked at his right arm, flexing it and testing it out. "So the circuitry is fixed?" he asked.  
"Yes," Hadurr confirmed as he reattached the outer plating to Kaatz's face. "I replaced all of the damaged parts that were causing your problem." His eyestalks narrowed as his gaze became a glare. "You tried to channel mental energy through your implants again, didn't you?" he asked, certain that he already knew the answer. "How many times do I have to tell you, Kaatz? Your implants can't handle that sort of strain."  
Kaatz shook his head. "This time it was not my fault," he explained. "I was wounded with a Psion Blade."  
Hadurr's eyestalks widened, and then he relaxed, understanding. "I see," he said. "That would do it. After all, the reaction of PSI to psionium causes mental energy to flood the body uncontrollably..." He looked Kaatz over. "It must have hurt."  
Kaatz looked away, not responding.  
"So who wounded you?" asked Hadurr.  
Still not looking at him, Kaatz didn't answer for a moment. "...His name is Kato," he finally said. "He is my..." Trailing off, Kaatz turned around and faced Hadurr. "He is the son of that man."  
Hadurr blinked, surprised; of all creatures on this mothership except perhaps the master himself, Hadurr knew Kaatz best, and he knew exactly whom Kaatz was talking about. "But shouldn't that be impossible?" he asked. "I thought you killed him."  
"I thought so, too," said Kaatz. He looked at his right hand. "I thought I finally destroyed him fourteen years ago. But it seems that I was wrong. Not only did he survive, he also has had a son since then." He stared at Hadurr. "That man is still alive."  
Hadurr stared at Kaatz; even though one of the human's eyes was not real, the alien could see the hate burning in the one that was. He closed his eyestalks, and started to say something, but then thought better of it. Finally, he said, "What do you plan to do?"  
Kaatz's expression did not change as he replied without hesitation, "I am going to kill him... For real this time." He closed his right hand into a fist. "Master Giaguo has given me some time off; I intend to use it to hunt down that man and kill him once and for all."  
"I see," Hadurr responded. "Will you be okay? From what you have told me of him, this 'Poo' was a very formidable opponent when you fought him last. He may still be dangerous."  
Kaatz smiled confidently. "I have grown exponentially in power since that time. I will crush him without fail."  
"Very well then," said Hadurr, looking troubled but going along with Kaatz. "Take care of yourself; I don't want to have my work be in vain." He pointed a tentacle at Kaatz's right arm.  
Kaatz answered by raising that arm. "It will not be in vain, Hadurr," he promised. "With this hand you gave me, I will take Poo by the throat and crush the life from him." He turned and left the chamber.  
After he was gone, Hadurr sighed. "He never said thank you for the repairs," he mentioned to himself. "But then again, he never does."  
He returned to his workbench, feeling apprehensive. _So, even after all this time, he still hates that man,_ he thought to himself. _I had hoped that he would have gotten over it by now._  
In any case, there was nothing that Hadurr could do about it. Kaatz was a grown man; what he did was up to him. "I just hope," he said to no one in particular, "that if he finally ends up doing something he can't take back, he doesn't come to regret it..."

_**Meanwhile...**_

Mila Aisengarde lay back against the floor, propped up on her elbows. This was the fourth day of her captivity in her former home, and the days seemed to grow longer with each one.  
She smirked up at the Gang Members who were standing guard. "Don't you guys ever get tired of watching me?" she asked, frowning.  
The nearest Gang Member, a large-muscled brute with greasy red hair who seemed to have some control over the others when Dangerous Tom was not around, scowled down at her; by listening to their conversations, Mila had learned that his name was Scott. "Give me one good reason, girl," he spat, "and I'll make it so we DON'T have to watch you anymore."  
Mila's frown curved into a small smile. "Just try it, if you think you're man enough," she invited. "I haven't had any practice for days... Not that you'd be much of it."  
Her words had an immediate effect on him; he reached down to grab her. "I'll show you!" he snarled. Mila's smile grew larger; finally, she could do something to let out her frustration. She got ready to counter him...  
"You will NOT." Dangerous Tom suddenly appeared between them, facing Mila. With a quick, effortless movement, Tom's right fist swung upward, catching Scott directly on the nose. A sickening crunch resounded throughout the building.  
Scott fell backward and collapsed on the ground, unconscious. Tom turned around and faced his men. "I seem to recall ordering you NOT to harm Miss Aisengarde," he stated, fixing his suit, which had become slightly disheveled from his movement.  
"B-But Dangerous Tom," whined a Gang Member, "she provoked us! We couldn't just sit around and let her make fun of us--"  
Tom's ice-blue eyes shifted to the speaker, glaring; the Gang Member backed down instantly. "You couldn't?" Tom repeated. "Or you wouldn't?" His eyebrows raised, questioning.  
Unable to look him in the eyes, the Gang Member answered quietly, "...We wouldn't..."  
"Precisely," said Tom. He looked over all of the Gang Members in the group. "Now, I have ordered you not to harm Miss Aisengarde in any way; your only task is to ensure that she does not wander off before she has seen the virtue of what I am trying to do. Even if she attempts to provoke you, I do not care--you will all do as you are told."  
The Gang Members looked down. "Yes, sir..."  
"Good, then," said Tom. "I am glad that we understand each other now." He looked over at two other Gang Members walking by who were not involved in watching Mila at the moment. "You two over there," he called, "take this one downstairs and treat his nose."  
The Gang Members came over. "Yes sir, Dangerous Tom," they replied. Picking up Scott's limp body at either end, they carried him away.  
Satisfied that he had gotten his point across to his underlings, Tom turned around to face Mila. "I am sorry that you had to witness that," he told her. "My men act like children sometimes."  
Mila sighed and looked away. "Whatever."  
Adjusting the sleeve of his suit a bit, Tom looked down at her. "So, have you come to reconsider my pr--"  
"No, I haven't changed my mind," Mila interrupted, not bothering to look at him. "So if that's the only reason you're standing in front of me right now, then you might as well just keep walking."  
To her surprise, Tom's normally-confident facial expression actually changed. Puzzled, Mila turned her head and looked at him. _Does he actually look... troubled?_ she wondered. _Is he finally starting to give up?_  
"Are you certain about that?" Tom asked her suddenly. "You have not changed your mind even slightly?"  
Something about what he said startled Mila. She thought back to the past three days she had been held here. Now that she thought about it, there had been times over those days when something had felt... different to her... And she actually HAD begun to think about Tom's offer. She had written it off as frustration over her current situation, but...  
Noticing her indecisiveness, Tom's troubled expression became confident again, and he stared intently at her like someone who knew he was about to win a game.  
That look reinforced Mila's resolve; it was the look of someone who had thrown innocent children out into the street to starve, someone who felt no remorse at stealing the home of those who had nowhere else to go. It was the look of a monster.  
Mila got up and stood, facing Tom defiantly. "No, I have not changed my mind," Mila spat at him. "Not at all. And I never will. I will NEVER help someone like you... Not ever." She gestured around at the parking garage that had once been her home. "No matter how much territory you conquer, no matter how many people's homes you steal away in the name of your stupid ambitions..." She placed her hand over her heart. "This is one conquest that you will NEVER have."  
She was rewarded by Tom's expression growing troubled again, and it emboldened her to continue. "That is my final answer to you, Dangerous Tom," Mila stated. "So if you're not going to let me go, then just kill me now and end this already."  
Tom stepped back from her, clearly looking disturbed now. Mila smiled; it was the only victory against him she'd been able to win.  
Clearing his throat, Tom said, "...I am sorry to hear that, Miss Aisengarde." He turned to his flunkies. "Resume your watch over her." He turned and walked away as the Gang Members moved back to guard her.  
Mila lay back against the floor again, feeling elated. She had scored a victory against Dangerous Tom; now all she could do was wait to see what happened next.

Reaching the top floor of the parking garage, the young man known as Dangerous Tom approached the area that had been set aside for his office. He looked at the two Gang Members standing in front of the curtain. "Leave me," he ordered. "I need some time alone to think."  
"Whatever you say, boss," said the Gang Members. They left their posts and headed to the lower floors to get some food.  
Left to himself, Tom entered his office and stood by his desk for a while. "I don't understand..." he said to himself. "She has been here for three full days now, and yet she still refuses me."  
He looked toward the back curtain of his office. "I don't understand," he repeated. "After this much time, she should have begun to be affected by now. ITS influence should have had an effect on her by now."  
He walked over to the back curtain and drew it aside, revealing another makeshift "room" set up by shower curtains. In the center of the room sat a large wooden shipping crate, almost as tall as Tom himself.  
Moving over to the crate, Tom removed the front panel and looked inside at the contents. "Why haven't you affected her yet?" he asked it. "She is almost directly below you. Why hasn't your influence affected her?"  
Suddenly, Tom stopped moving and listened, almost as if he were hearing something that no one else could. "...I see," he said finally. "Her will is too strong... Almost as strong as mine." He smiled slightly. "I truly did make the right choice when I chose her."  
He stopped again, listening to more unspoken words, and nodded. "That's it, then," he replied. "If I bring her right here, right in front of you, where your power is greatest, then she will not be able to resist your influence anymore. She will finally become mine."  
Tom put the front panel back in place, and then left the room and his office, heading back downstairs.

Mila sat up again suddenly as Dangerous Tom came back downstairs. _He's trying again already?_ she thought, her temporarily-raised spirits plummeting again. _I thought I had really convinced him this time..._  
Tom stopped and faced his goons who were guarding her. "All of you may leave and take a break," he told them.  
One of the Gang Members who had carried Scott away before stepped forward. "Are you sure, Dangerous Tom?" he asked.  
Dangerous Tom nodded. "I shall take her from here," he said. "She will not be able to escape."  
Puzzled, Mila stared at Tom. _What is he planning now?_ she wondered. That thought was suddenly overshadowed by the realization that for the first time in over three days, she would not be guarded by fifteen men simultaneously. _That still leaves Tom himself, though... But is there some way I can work this to my advantage?_  
The Gang Member nodded. "Whatever you say, boss." He and the others turned and left, heading downstairs to get some food.  
After they had gone, Tom turned to her. "Please follow me, Miss Aisengarde," he said, reaching down to help her up.  
Mila stood up on her own, ignoring him. "I don't know what you're planning, but it's not going to work," she stated, folding her arms. "I'm not giving in to you, not ever."  
"We will see, Miss Aisengarde," Tom replied simply. "In any case, I should not need to remind you that you will not be able to escape me, so trying to would be futile."  
Mila did not respond, because she knew he was right. From their extremely brief battle several days ago, Mila knew that Tom was fully capable of overpowering her if she tried to fight him. Trying to run away would also be useless, because Tom could run circles around her. _I'm not giving up, though,_ Mila thought to herself. _I have to be alert. If an opportunity appears, I have to take advantage of it as quickly as possible, because it may only be for an instant._  
Dangerous Tom stared into her hazel eyes with his ice-blue ones. "I can see in your eyes that you are considering escape, Miss Aisengarde," he told her. "Please do not force me to harm you again."  
Mila broke away from his gaze, facing away from him. "Shut up," she retorted. "I may physically be a prisoner here, but I'll think whatever I want."  
From behind her, Tom's mouth curved upward in a slight smile. "We will see," he repeated. "Please follow me."  
Hearing him start to walk away, Mila sighed. Even if she refused to follow him, Tom could simply drag her where he wanted without any effort; Mila's last shred of dignity would not allow that. With no other options, she slowly turned around and followed him; however much she hated it, she was at Tom's mercy.

Dangerous Tom led Mila upstairs and to his "office" on the top floor. He walked over to the curtain and held it open for her, motioning for her to go inside. Suppressing a sigh, Mila followed and entered his office.  
Mila looked around at Tom's office; this was the second time she had been here. "Why did you bring me here?" she demanded.  
"It is not here that I am taking you, Miss Aisengarde," Tom replied, acting as gentlemanly as ever. "There is one more room beyond this one."  
She moved over to the back curtain where Tom was pointing; she hadn't noticed another room back there before. "Let's just get this over with," she said, pulling aside the curtain and going inside.  
The only object in this back room was a large wooden shipping crate, about as tall as she was. Mila blinked, surprised. "What is this, Tom?" she demanded.  
Dangerous Tom came in behind her, moving over next to the crate. "I am about to show you a secret, Miss Aisengarde," he declared. "The secret to my power as leader of this gang."  
_The secret to his power?_ Mila repeated in her mind. _What is he talking about?_  
Noting her puzzlement, Tom continued. "I have a confession to make," he said. "I believe myself to be an able and charismatic leader. However, I was not actually able to create and control this gang through those qualities alone."  
"What are you talking about?" asked Mila.  
Tom cleared his throat. "My grandfather once possessed total control of a major city in Eagleland," he revealed. "When I first heard tales of the power he once wielded, I knew right then and there that I was destined to achieve the same power and beyond. I knew that it was my birthright to surpass my grandfather and become the most powerful man in the world."  
Mila listened to this in astonishment. _He isn't just cruel,_ she realized. _He's crazy. He's completely out of his mind._  
His eyes on the shipping crate, Tom continued his story. "However, when I first started out, I came to understand that it was much harder to gain power than I thought. Despite all of my best efforts, almost no one would join me on my quest for power. Then I heard of my grandfather's artifact."  
He reached out and patted the crate. "My grandfather's artifact was the source of his power; it granted him the power to rule. While he had it, thousands served him loyally and without question. The entire city and nearly everyone in it were under his control." He paused for a moment. "That control fell apart the moment my grandfather lost the artifact's power."  
_Artifact?_ thought Mila. _What artifact?_  
"When I heard of this artifact," Tom went on, still staring at the crate, "I knew that I would need it in order to gain my own power. I traveled to its last known location, and by some twist of good fortune, it still rested in that place, almost as if it had been waiting for me to find it."  
He glanced briefly at Mila, noting the way she was looking at him. "The artifact was heavily damaged when I found it, but to my delight it still operated, though at only a fraction of its former capability," he explained. "With it, I was finally able to gain power. I brought it here, to Ellay, and organized the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang using the artifact's diminished influence. Though I cannot use the artifact to control an entire city, the numbers that I can control will spread that control to the rest. In this manner, I will take control of all Ellay and beyond."  
Mila thought deeply about what Tom was saying. _So that means that he's commanding the gang through some kind of mind contr--_  
Her eyes widened in horror as it finally dawned on her; this was why Tom had brought her here. _He's going to--_  
Tom looked away from the crate and stared directly at her, his icy gaze chilling her; it was as if he was staring directly INTO her. "I must congratulate you, Miss Aisengarde," he said. "You have a very strong will, almost as strong as mine. I am truly glad that I chose you, Miss Aisengarde; however, your resistance ends here."  
With that, Tom pulled off the front panel of the crate, revealing the object within. Mila stared at it in astonishment.  
Inside the crate was a golden statue. Its features were vaguely humanoid, appearing to be a shapeless man; however, a pair of golden horns jutted out from the statue's head. Mila saw what Tom had meant by "heavily damaged"; the statue was broken in half. The base of the statue, with the "man's" legs, stood upon the floor of the crate, while the top half, the "man's" torso, arms, and head, was propped up against the wall of the crate. The statue's arms were positioned out in front, as if they had once held something.  
Dangerous Tom laughed as he watched Mila's reaction. "You will refuse me no longer, Miss Aisengarde," he declared; this time, there was nothing gentlemanly about the way he said "Miss Aisengarde." He extended his arm and pointed at her. "I, Thomas Monotoli, shall rule you as I will rule this entire world, with the power of Mani Mani!"  
Mila stepped backward, actually cowed by Tom's ferocity... And then she felt an odd sensation creep into her mind.

She cried out in surprise as she suddenly was frozen in place, unable to move. The world around her faded to various shades of grey, and then faded into mist. It seemed as if there was nothing in the universe but her...  
And then the statue appeared in front of her, this time whole and unbroken. But something else was different as well; the normally-shapeless head of the statue had Tom's face on it.  
It was impossible to determine how long Mila and the statue stared at each other, Tom's face leering at her; she wanted more than anything to look away, but she could not.  
And then, the statue spoke. _OBEY ME._  
The words thundered throughout the world around Mila and pierced into her very soul. She felt her body, mind, and heart vibrate with the impact of the statue's speech.  
The statue spoke again. _OBEY ME. OBEY MANI MANI._  
The statue's voice pierced Mila even worse this time, forcing her to her knees even though she could not move. She felt as if her heart would freeze in place as the words flooded her entire being.  
_OBEY MANI MANI._ This time the statue's voice originated from within Mila, cascading out from her mind in a thunderous roar that could not be shut out. The words flowed through her, leaving not the smallest part of her untouched.  
And suddenly, Mila wondered, _What have I been doing all this time?_  
How could she possibly have hated Tom? He was only trying to make Ellay a better place; without him Ellay would sink further and further until it became an empty, dead city.  
_But Tom will fix it,_ Mila thought. _Tom is a great man. He will save Ellay and make it into a utopia. If only I had helped him in the beginning, when he first asked me to, Ellay would be even better than it is now._  
The statue with Tom's face in front of her suddenly transformed into Tom completely. He smiled at her, and Mila smiled back, gazing lovingly at him. "I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble, Tom," she apologized, feeling terrible for what she had done. "I hurt so many of your men, and I wasted so much of your valuable time being stubborn. Please forgive me, Tom."  
_IT IS_ "okay, Mila," Tom replied, his voice changing from the odd statue voice into his normal, human voice. "The important thing is that you've realized your mistake. And now that you understand, you're going to be good now, right?"  
"Yes!" Mila cried. "I will be good for you, Tom. I will obey you." She got up, walked toward him, and knelt before him. "I love you--"  
She was interrupted as Brian suddenly appeared between them. "What are you doing, Mila?" he asked. "He's the bad guy! How can you say those things?"  
Mila blinked, her mind becoming uncertain for a moment. But then everything became clear again. "Go away, Brian," she told him. "I won't be bad anymore. I will serve Tom with all my heart--"  
"Don't you get it?" Brian cried. "He's the BAD guy! How can you just do what he says?" He spread his arms at her. "I used to think you were strong, Mila. But if you can't even remember how much you hate this guy..." He pointed at Tom, standing behind him. "Then you're a weakling."  
Mila shook her head slowly as her mind fogged up again. "I... hate Tom?"  
Behind Brian, the image of Tom smiled at her. "Obey Mani Mani," he said, his voice resonating throughout everything.  
Mila nodded. "Yes... I will obey." She looked up at Brian. "Stop lying, Brian. Tom is a great man. He will make Ellay a better place."  
Brian shook his head, resigning himself. "Your heart is weak, Mila," he told her. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do, but I'm doing it for me and all the other kids you forgot about. Wake up!"  
Brian raised his hand and slapped Mila across the face. The blow had surprising strength to it, knocking her to the ground. And with that slap, Mila remembered.  
She slowly stood up, holding her head, which was aching. "I... I'm sorry, Brian," she said. "I was weak."  
"It's okay, Mila," said Brian. "You can't always do everything yourself." He smiled and faded away.  
Mila faced the remaining image of Dangerous Tom, and her hands clenched into fists. "I hate you," she declared.  
Tom's smile became a frown. "Obey " _MANI MANI,_ he commanded, turning back into the statue.  
"No," said Mila.  
_OBEY MANI MANI,_ the statue repeated. Its voice cascaded into her again, vibrating throughout her entire being.  
But Mila was not going to let the statue take her mind again. "No," she said.  
_OBEY MANI MANI._  
"No!" Mila cried.  
_OBEY MANI MANI,_ ordered the statue. Its voice pierced through her mind, and Mila didn't know how she could possibly resist.  
But she did. "NO!" she shouted.  
The swirling grey mist around them turned red, and the statue actually started to absorb it, turning red as well. The statue gathered all of its power, seeming to draw in everything, and sent its will screaming into Mila like a bullet. _OBEY MANI MANI!_  
"NOOOOOOOO!" As Mila screamed back in defiance, the statue's spell was broken, and with a sound like breaking glass, the world faded back to reality.

Mila suddenly found herself standing in Tom's back room once more, facing the shipping crate with the broken statue in it. Her fists were still clenched, and her mouth was still open from screaming.  
Tom stared at her in utter disbelief. "How...?" he asked. "How could you resist it? It's not possible!"  
He suddenly froze, as if something was speaking to him. "...A memory?" he spoke. "You defeated Mani Mani's power with a memory?"  
Mila suddenly remembered how Brian had appeared to her in her time of need. _My memory of Brian... saved me?_  
"It's not possible," said Tom, coming around to stare inside the crate at the statue. "You can't stop Mani Mani with a mere memory. He should have overridden your memories with his influence. It's just not possible!"  
Mila stared at Tom, horrified; she had never seen the gang leader so uncomposed. _And I actually said I loved him!_ she remembered. _How could I have come so close to being brainwashed by a deranged monster like him?_  
"It's impossible," Tom repeated madly, grabbing the upper half of the statue and shaking it. "Mani Mani can't be beaten. It's impossible!"  
As Mila looked at him, she suddenly realized that he wasn't even paying attention to her anymore. _This is it,_ she understood. _This is my chance!_  
Mila turned and bolted from the room, tearing through the curtains, running away as fast as she could. A moment later behind her, she heard Tom cry out, "Mila? Mila! Mila! NO! You can't escape, I won't let you escape!"

As she reached the floor below, Mila suddenly heard Tom's alarm bell ring out, over and over again. She kept running; there was no time to think about it.  
The floors below were filled with Gang Members. As she ran past, they cried out in surprise and pursued her. Mila kept running; there was no way she could fight all of them, so her only hope was to outrun them.  
The Gang Members on the next floors had heard Tom's alarm and were ready for her. Mila ducked and weaved through them, relying on every skill she knew to avoid their grasp; if they caught her, it was all over.  
She was caught off guard as Scott suddenly rose up in front of her, his broken nose heavily bandaged, reaching out to grab her. Without slowing down, Mila jumped into the air, her blond hair flowing in the wind, and brought her knee into Scott's face, catching him directly on the nose. Scott was instantly knocked out a second time as Mila sailed over him; as she landed on the floor hands-first, she pivoted her body into a handstand and gracefully twirled back onto her feet, still running. The Gang Members chasing Mila shouted all manner of ugly things as they followed her, but as long as Mila kept running, they could not catch her.

Mila's escape finally hit a snag when she reached the third level of the parking garage, three stories from the ground. In an unusual display of intelligence, the Gang Members there had formed a blockade at the ramp leading to the second level. There were at least twenty of them; there was no way Mila could get past.  
Since she was forced to stop, the Gang Members chasing her from the levels above finally caught up with her. They filed out around her, clearly trying to surround her.  
_I can't let them surround me,_ Mila thought to herself. _If they surround me, I'm done for._  
Desperately, Mila backed away from them, trying hard to think of something else she could do, but the outlook seemed bleak. She had come so far; she couldn't give up now!  
The Gang Members began to sneer as they advanced on her. They knew they had her, and they knew that she knew they had her.  
As she retreated, Mila finally ran out of space to back into as her back bumped against the corner of the parking garage. The Gang Members' sneers grew even larger; Mila Aisengarde had defeated so many of them during their campaign to take the West End, and now they finally had her cornered.  
One of the Gang Members spoke. "We finally got you, girl," he said. "Finally, we got you right where we want you. Dangerous Tom can't punish us if all of us are in on this." He cracked his knuckles, getting ready to attack her. "If you're still alive when the boss gets you back, then he'll be a lucky man."  
Mila pressed herself against the corner as the Gang Members advanced on her. _This is it, then,_ she thought sadly. _I'm sorry, Brian... I tried to come back, but it looks like I won't be able to._  
She looked around once more, for a last-second last resort... And then remembered where she was. She might be backed up against the wall, but on this floor of her old Home Base, the wall did not go all the way to the ceiling; it was only there to act as a guardrail for vehicles back when Home Base had been a parking garage.  
_I'm three stories up, which is still pretty high off the ground,_ Mila thought to herself, _but it's the only option I have. And as long as I can still breathe, I'm not going to let these guys do what they want with me._  
As the Gang Members reached out to take her, Mila grabbed the top of the wall and flipped over it and outside. And then, Mila Aisengarde found out just how high off of the ground she was.

Mila fell three stories and crashed onto the pavement outside Home Base. Her right leg hit the ground first; as it took the impact, Mila suddenly both felt and heard an audible snap in her right thigh. And then the pain came.  
Crying out in agony, Mila tried to get back to her feet, but her broken leg collapsed under her and she fell face first, sprawling back onto the pavement.  
"No!" Mila cried, realizing that it was over for her; now she couldn't even walk, let alone run or fight. Once the Gang Members caught her, it was over. Despite everything she had done, it was all going to be in vain.  
Sobbing helplessly, Mila reached out with her arms and dragged herself across the pavement, a hopeless last-ditch effort to get away. If she could just crawl away, maybe into one of the other buildings, just maybe they wouldn't be able to find her.  
"There she is!" The Gang Members filed out of Home Base and saw her trying to crawl away. In an instant Mila was surrounded. _This really is it, then,_ Mila understood. _There's nothing left I can do._ She rolled over onto her back, tears streaming down her face. She had tried so hard...  
"So here you are, lying on the ground," said the same Gang Member who had spoken before. "You always strutted around, beating us so easily. Look how pathetic you are now!" The other Gang Members laughed evilly. Mila closed her eyes, resigning herself; it was really over.  
The same gangster, apparently the temporary leader of this lynch mob, put his hands on his hips and laughed. "Seeing how you hurt yourself in the fall, maybe if you beg real hard, we'll only break your other leg."  
In response, Mila opened her eyes and sat up, ignoring the sharp pain in her leg. "I won't give you the satisfaction," she spat, her cheeks stained with tears. "I'm going to take as many of you down as I can before I die!"  
With that, Mila kicked out with her left leg and tripped him, knocking him to the ground. Moving to a crouching position while shifting her weight to her left leg, she launched her body forward at the Gang Member and landed on top of him, pummeling him over and over with both fists. The action caused all kinds of pain in her right leg, but she ignored it; all that mattered was beating her foe before the others killed her. She hit him over and over, shouting and crying at the same time as a multitude of different emotions--anger, hatred, regret, sadness--surged through her. If Dangerous Tom himself had shown up in front of her at that moment, she would punch him in the face without fail.  
Then the other Gang Members entered the fray. They pulled her off of their comrade, and prepared to beat her to death. Mila flailed around, punching many of them as hard as she could; she was not going to make it easy for them. She would keep fighting until the moment they killed her--  
Suddenly a gunshot rang out. The Gang Members and Mila all stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the source of the sound.  
Nick, Jenna, and Carl stood there, each of them armed with a shotgun. Between Jenna and Carl stood Brian, aiming resolutely at the mass of Gang Members with a nasty-looking slingshot. Behind them stood all of the rest of the Defenders of Home Base that Mila had freed by giving herself in exchange, all armed with some kind of weapon. Behind them stood the Providers of Home Base, Quincy among them, also armed with some weapon.  
"We've come for our friend," declared Nick, who had fired the warning shot. "Give her back to us."  
Mila, unable to see them, sat there in complete and utter amazement. _Is it really them?_ she wondered. _Or am I hallucinating before I die?_  
The Gang Members all stood and turned to face their new adversaries, sneering. "We have more guys," one of them spoke out, since the previous ringleader was lying unconscious on the ground after Mila's frenzied assault. "You might have guns, but you'll only get a few of us before we bring you down."  
"Are you really willing to risk losing your comrades just to beat us?" asked Carl. "Because I assure you, if you even try it, many of you are going to die."  
"Some of us might die, but at least we'll finally get rid of you guys," said another Gang Member.  
Nick pumped his shotgun to load another shell into the chamber, and he, Jenna, and Carl took aim; it looked like this was not going to be resolved peacefully.  
Suddenly, Dangerous Tom's voice called out. "Men, release Miss Aisengarde," he ordered.  
Everyone looked up at Home Base; Tom was looking out over all of them from one of the upper floors. He looked disheveled and his hair was out of place from his crazed ranting, but he appeared to have regained his composure. "Release her," he repeated.  
"But why?" demanded one of the Gang Members. "We can take those guys! We'll beat them for sure!"  
Tom scowled angrily down at him. "Are you questioning my orders?" he asked.  
Cowed, the Gang Member looked at the ground. "N-No, boss," he replied.  
"Good," said Tom. "Now, if Miss Aisengarde wants to go back to her people that badly, then by all means, let her."  
Grumbling, the Gang Members parted, and Mila saw her friends standing there. _I'm not hallucinating,_ she realized. _I'm... I'm saved!_  
Putting aside their shotguns, Nick and Carl ran over and picked Mila up, carrying her over to the others. "Someone bring a stretcher over here!" he called.  
A few of the Providers hastily improvised a stretcher out of an old piece of plywood that was laying around, and Nick and Carl laid Mila on it. At least six Defenders picked it up, ready to carry her back to the South End. Mila stared in disbelief at them, still astonished that she had been saved.  
Before they could leave, however, Dangerous Tom's voice called out from Home Base once more. "One more thing, Miss Aisengarde," he announced.  
Mila craned her neck to look up at him.  
Even from far away, Dangerous Tom's ice-blue eyes pierced her. "The time will soon come when I complete my conquest of this city," he declared. "And if I ever see you again, Miss Aisengarde... I will break you." He turned and was gone from sight, back into Home Base. Still sneering, the Gang Members followed his example and filed back inside as well.  
Mila looked around at all of her friends, all of the people who had come to help her. "Everyone... You came to save me...?"  
"It's okay, Mila," said Jenna, smiling at her. "We're going to get you back to Quincy's house. You're safe now."  
Everyone was taken aback as Mila started crying. "Thank you..." she sobbed. "Thank you so much..."  
"Don't worry about it," said Nick, trying to console her. "You're one of us, Mila. You're our friend. There's no way we'd let the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang keep you."

Back at the South End, Quincy put the finishing touches on the splint. "I've set your broken bone, and this splint will keep it from moving out of place again," he said. "Luckily, it was only a simple fracture. But still, you should get to a doctor and have a cast put on it."  
Mila sat up; she had changed into a pair of shorts so that Quincy could work on her leg. "You know we can't afford that, Quincy," she said. "But thank you for fixing it."  
"It's fine," Quincy replied. "But you won't be able to walk for a long time. I found you some old crutches that you can use to get around, but it's going to be a while before you're able to fight again."  
Mila smiled at him. "I don't mind," she told him. "I don't think I'll even feel like fighting again for a while."  
Quincy laughed, running a hand through his thinning brown hair. "After what you went through, it's no wonder. You're lucky to be alive."  
Mila looked around at the other occupants of the room. "I'm lucky to be alive because of all of you," she stated. "If you all hadn't shown up then..."  
From where he was standing in the doorway, Nick shook his head and looked at little Brian, who was sitting on the couch. "It was actually Brian's idea, to begin with," he admitted. "He was so furious that you had left to give yourself to the gang, he dragged Carl, Jenna and I back to Home Base to see if we could figure out a way to get you out. When they released the other Defenders, they joined us and kept waiting. A day or two later, the Providers got in on it, and we just kept waiting for an opportunity. Finally, Jenna came back from her round saying that you had fallen outside from the third level, and we mobilized as fast as we could to come get you."  
Mila turned to look at Brian. "Brian... It was your idea?"  
Brian sank into the couch, looking uncomfortable. "Well, I had help, of course..."  
Mila smiled at him. "I'm alive and well because of you, Brian... In more ways than one," she said. "We've never really done this officially before, but I'm going to make a new start of it." She pointed at Brian. "From now on, Brian Crayton is a full-fledged Defender of Home Base, equal to any other... Equal to me."  
Brian's eyes lit up. "Are you SERIOUS?" he exclaimed.  
"As serious as it gets," Mila confirmed. "If anyone tries to say otherwise, I'll beat them with my crutch."  
"YES! Thank you, Mila! You're the best!" Brian leapt off of the couch and ran outside to tell his friends the news.  
Nick looked at her after Brian had gone. "Are you sure about that?" he asked. "Brian's only 10--"  
"He is stronger than me," Mila interrupted. "He'll be fine. And I wasn't kidding about the crutch, so don't question it again."  
Nick grinned and backed down. "It's good to have you back, Mila."  
Mila leaned back against the wall and smiled. "How are the other children?" she asked.  
"They're all fine," Nick informed her. "While we were waiting for our chance to save you, we sent out search parties to find them. They're all safe now, we found every last one of them; they're at the other Providers' houses."  
Mila sighed in relief. "I'm so glad." She looked up at the window. "But... We're going to have to leave here."  
"But why?" asked Quincy.  
"You heard what Tom said before we left the West End," Mila reminded him. "He's planning to 'complete his conquest of the city.' He's planning to attack the South End!"  
Nick blinked. "But the South End is still inhabited!" he said. "There's no way he could get away with it."  
Mila looked at the floor. "Actually, I'm not so sure," she said.  
Quincy and Nick looked at her, waiting for her to continue, so she did. "Dangerous Tom has a device," she revealed. "An artifact called Mani Mani. He can use it to control people's minds, and make them loyal to him. That's how he built the gang."  
"Mind control?" Quincy repeated. "But we were all waiting outside Home Base for days. Some of the Defenders were imprisoned there for even more days. Why weren't any of us affected?"  
Nick snapped his fingers. "You know, now that you mention it," he recalled, "a lot of people did start complaining about headaches after a couple of days. We even ran out of aspirin. Just yesterday, Jenna had a really bad headache, and I gave her my aspirin even though I had a headache too..."  
Mila shrugged. "I don't really know how it works," she admitted. "But I wasn't really affected, even though I was almost directly underneath it for three days... Not until he tried to use it on me directly." She shuddered at the memory of that. "Tom mentioned something about the artifact being less powerful than it used to be. I guess it doesn't work as well on us because we hate him so much."  
"I guess," said Nick. "Still, we should check everyone out and make sure that there weren't any lasting effects."  
Mila nodded. "And we still have to leave. If Tom invades the South End, he'll probably bring that Mani Mani with him. Even if it doesn't affect us easily, we have to stay away from it."  
"So where will we go, then?" asked Quincy. "It's not like we have a lot of towns opening their doors to homeless children."  
"We'll go to Youngtown," Mila offered.  
Nick's eyes widened. "The ghost town?"  
Mila nodded again. "It wasn't abandoned THAT long ago," she said. "Most of the buildings there should still be standing. And hopefully, if Tom does take the South End, he'll ignore Youngtown and move on to something else. I can't see why he would go after an empty forest town near a swamp."  
Sighing, Nick replied, "So we're just going to run away from Dangerous Tom and the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang?"  
"It's the only option we have," Quincy recognized. "The tables were turned against us before; now, with that mind-control device, the gang is even more dangerous. And our priority is to the children, to their welfare. All else is secondary, including any revenge on the gang; that's what makes us different from them."  
Nick nodded, seeing the wisdom in Quincy's words. "I understand," he said. "I'll go and spread the word around that we're moving to Youngtown." He left the house.  
Quincy folded his arms. "You do realize," he said, "that if we move to Youngtown, Providers like me won't be able to earn our livings to keep the children fed."  
"I know..." said Mila, nodding.  
"However, I do believe that this move is the best course of action we can take, given the present circumstances," Quincy continued. "In any case, we'll have to tackle this situation one problem at a time." He looked at the doorway to the other room. "I'll go and bring your crutches in, so you can move around a bit."  
"Okay," said Mila. "Thank you." Quincy left the room.  
Left to herself, Mila leaned back against the wall, letting herself forget all of her problems, even if only for a little while, simply glad to be alive.

_**To be continued...**_


	33. Earthbound 202X Part 33

_**Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight**_

**Part 33: Tempest Rock**

Guy sat up in the bed, yawning contentedly. This hotel had very comfortable beds, even more so than the one in Quattro City.  
He reached over and picked his glasses up off of the end table next to the bed, and slipped them onto his face. Adjusting them so that they were comfortable, he looked at the clock. _It's 9:22,_ he thought. _I have to meet the others in about forty minutes._  
Fortunately, that was more than enough time to finish his latest work. Guy got out of bed and moved over to the desk, where one of his weapon projects had been carefully placed last night.  
"It only requires several more adjustments, and then it will be complete," Guy said to himself. He sat down at the desk and began working.  
About twenty minutes later, it was done. Guy smiled as he put the finishing touches to his newest weapon, the third in his growing collection.  
He held it up and examined it, trying out the grip and taking a few practice aims. His latest project looked more like a futuristic rifle than anything; it was surprisingly streamlined for something Guy had built out of spare parts, and a large scope adorned its top.  
"This weapon will certainly be of assistance," said Guy proudly, pleased with his work. "It may not be the Mother Weapon that I intend to construct in the future, but it is powerful nonetheless."  
As he thought of the Mother Weapon, the idea that had been implanted within his mind at Lode Spire, he thought back to the person he had seen there. _My mother..._ he thought, remembering.  
Guy did not know anything about his mother; she had been gone since before he could remember. His father never mentioned her or spoke with Guy about her, and Guy had never found anything in the company records about her. To Orangeman Orangere, Guy's mother had never even existed.  
Guy looked across the room at the mirror, staring at his one deep blue eye. _I don't know why Father never talks about her, but my mother DID exist... And she continues to exist in me._  
He thought about the Mother Weapon some more. He knew exactly how to build it, but he did not have the necessary parts yet. If he wanted to finish it, he would have to find those parts.  
In the meantime, there was his latest work, the weapon that he now held.

At 10:00, Karen, Deckard, Guy, and Kyla met in the hotel lobby.  
As Guy came in, Kyla noticed that he was carrying something new. "Guy, you finished another weapon!" she pointed out.  
Guy smiled. "Indeed I have," he confirmed, holding it out for them to look. "I was able to complete it by using parts that I salvaged from Jeff's laboratory in Winters."  
Karen looked at it, remembering the last time Guy had finished a weapon. "What did you name it?" she asked.  
"I call it... the Sun Sniper," Guy announced proudly.  
"The Sun Sniper?" Karen repeated, looking at it. "What does it do? It looks like some kind of space-age laser rifle."  
Guy nodded. "That is exactly what it is," he confirmed. "Basically, this weapon is designed for long-range precision marksmanship. It fires a powerful laser over long distances, allowing the user to strike at an enemy from far away--"  
"So it's a sniper rifle," Deckard interrupted.  
"Well... Yes," replied Guy. He pointed at the scope. "I discovered this sight scope in Jeff's laboratory; I believe that it was once part of one of his own weapon projects. It possesses laser targeting, optical zoom, and nightvision." He paused for a moment. "Assuming that my calibrations are correct, this weapon should be approximately 99.3 accurate."  
Kyla smiled. "That's really neat, Guy," she said, impressed. She noticed something else on the weapon: an odd panel attached to its side. "Are those... solar cells?" she asked.  
"Yes," said Guy. "That is the reason why I named it the Sun Sniper; because it operates on solar energy. As long as the weapon is in sunlight, its energy will never be depleted."  
"But what happens if you take it indoors, or underground?" asked Karen. "We spend a lot of time in caves and tunnels, after all. Or what if you use it at night?"  
Guy thought about it for a moment. "In that case, I believe that the weapon can be fired approximately five times before it needs to be recharged... Perhaps six." He shrugged. "I have not had a chance to test it yet, so I do not know for certain."  
Deckard folded his arms. "Well, you'll be getting that chance soon enough, considering where we're going today."  
Guy looked at the gun. "I suppose so..."  
Everyone was quiet for a moment. Finally Karen asked, "So is everyone ready? We have to go to the pier, and rent a boat to take us to the island where the fourth Sanctuary is."  
Kyla procured the device that she had brought, with the Sanctuaries' locations on it. "Once we hire a boat, we'll have to go to the island with these coordinates," she stated, pointing them out on the device's screen.  
Deckard looked at the device. "What is that thing, anyway, Kyla?" he asked. "I've seen Jeff and Apple Man fiddling with it, but I don't really know what it is."  
Kyla held it up; it was about the same size as a personal digital assistant. "This? It's a global-positioning-system mapping-and-orienteering assistant, or GPS-MOA," she explained. "My dad built it. The entire world is mapped out on here, and it automatically tracks our position relative to the maps as we move. I can use it to find out how far we are from a town, or how to get to the nearest hospital, and other things like that. With this, we'll never get lost." She looked at the screen again. "And we uploaded the positions of seven Sanctuaries to it, so it has them too... But it's still missing the last one..."  
"There's nothing we can do about that," Karen stated. "We can worry about it once we've rejoined Sasha, Kato, and Zain."  
Deckard turned and stared at her. "...You say that like you know Zain's going to be okay."  
"He will be," Karen replied.  
"But how can you know?" asked Deckard.  
Karen smiled. "I know," she said brightly. "The next time we see him, he'll be awake and completely back to his usual self."  
"...And all hamburgers in the world shall once again understand the meaning of fear," Guy added.  
The four of them laughed, feeling in better spirits.

After leaving the hotel, they walked over the bus stop, having decided to take the bus to the pier. Fourside was the largest city that they had been in so far, and the thought of walking from one end to the other did not appeal to them at all.  
As the four stood at the stop, waiting for the next bus to show up, Karen looked up at the sky. "I wonder which one of us this next Sanctuary is meant for...?" she mused.  
"Who knows?" asked Deckard with a shrug. "It could be for any of us, except Guy."  
"Or the Sanctuary could be intended for Zain, or for the eighth Chosen," Guy reminded them. "But in any case, there is no way for us to know this until we have found it."  
Kyla turned to Guy, the only one among them at the moment who had found his Sanctuary. "Guy, what was it like? To see your Sanctuary, I mean."  
"It is an experience that I shall never forget," Guy recounted. "In the stone of Lode Spire, I saw my mother, Kyla." He closed his eyes as he remembered. "I do not know anything about her, yet I knew in my heart that it was her."  
Deckard looked over at them. "Is that what happens when you find your Sanctuary?" he asked. "You see your parents?" Karen looked over as well, clearly becoming interested.  
Guy shook his head. "I do not know for certain. I know only what I saw." He thought for a moment. "But Sasha saw her father at Lumina Pillar, so it may be that we see our families at the Sanctuaries."  
"What about Kato?" asked Kyla. "What did he see, when you found the Tranquil Zone?"  
With a shrug, Guy shook his head. "I do not know," he replied. "Other than information regarding his PSI Form Change ability, Kato has never discussed the Tranquil Zone with any of us."  
Deckard thought back to that morning in Quattro City, when Kato had started explaining to him what he had seen at his Sanctuary... About Zain's future.  
He almost spoke up, but then thought better of it. _Something tells me that what Kato was going to say back then should be kept confidential..._ he decided. _At least, for now._ "Well, I guess whether or not he wants to tell us is his choice," Deckard told them.  
"You're right," Karen agreed.  
Their conversation was ended as a bus pulled up to the stop. "Well, here it is," said Deckard. "Let's go to the pier."  
The four of them climbed aboard the bus, and it drove away.

Compared to the rest of the giant city, Fourside's pier was rather small, housing only about 50 boats.  
"Fourside didn't originally have a pier, until more recently," Kyla explained as they exited the bus. "Construction started on it about 28 years ago, and it was finished by the end of 200X."  
"I'm not even going to ask how you know that," Deckard commented.  
Karen looked at the boats. "It does make sense, though. After all, why WOULDN'T a city built on an island have boats?"  
"Well, when the city was originally built, it was--" began Kyla.  
Karen raised a hand and stopped her, rolling her eyes. "Never mind." She looked at the boats again. "I guess we'll just have to ask around and see if anyone will take us where we need to go."  
They walked over to the nearest boat, a large, dirty white motorboat that looked about as old as Apple Man's van; in faded blue paint on the side, the words "Cerulean Princess" could barely be made out. The boat's apparent owner was on the deck, sitting in a battered old aluminum lawn chair. A sun umbrella was fixed to the deck, casting a shadow over him.  
Karen inspected the man. He didn't look much better than his boat, dressed in ragged old clothes and a beat-up jacket; he appeared to be middle-aged. An old white captain's hat rested on his head, and it was tipped over his eyes, covering his face from the light. Karen could make out beard stubble on the part of his face that was visible, and he was snoring loudly.  
Guy, Karen, Deckard, and Kyla looked at each other, wondering which of them should talk to him. Finally Karen answered their unspoken question. "...I'll do it," she decided, adjusting her baseball cap. The other three tried, unsuccessfully, to hide their relief.  
Karen stepped forward, facing the boat and its unusual owner. "Excuse me...?" she called.  
The man snorted. "Go 'way," he mumbled, not waking up. "Already paid off m'tab..." He ended the garbled speech with a loud snore.  
Karen turned and looked back at her friends, and then tried again. "Excuse me!"  
"Get lost!" the man shouted, startling them. "Already tol' ya, I ain't sellin' m'boat! Go on, get!" He settled back into his chair, evidently still asleep. "Bloodsuckin' business weasels, they'll never get my princess..." The snoring resumed.  
Karen sighed and looked back at the others again. "Is anyone looking?"  
Deckard looked around; the other people, after having glanced at them upon Karen's call, had turned back to their business. "Strangely enough, no," he replied. "The other people around here must be used to this guy."  
"Good." Karen raised her hand and used her power. "PSI Freeze Alpha."  
A small ball of ice crystallized in her hand. "If this doesn't wake him up," Karen declared, "then I don't know what will." She threw the ice ball at the man; it struck his hat, bouncing off of his head and over the side of the boat.  
The man fell out of the chair, which collapsed. "What the...?"  
"Nice throw," Deckard remarked.  
The owner of the boat, now fully awake, glared down at them. "You crazy kids, if I catch you--"  
"I'm sorry about that," said Karen, taking control of the situation. "It's just that we really need your help."  
The man's glare lessened somewhat, but not all the way. "Well, crackin' a man on 'is skull is a darned lousy way to ask, if y'ask me!" he retorted. "'Sides, what kind o' help would a bunch o' kids want from me?"  
Kyla answered for them this time. "Can you take us to a small island not far from here?" she asked.  
"Sea travel?" said the boat captain. "Well, if it's sea travel yer wantin', maybe I can help you kids after all. Where ya wanna go?"  
Kyla walked over the edge of the dock and brought out the GPS-MOA. "It's this island right here," she said, pointing it out on the device's map. "Could you please take us there?"  
The man's eyes widened. "That island? That island's empty, always been that way. What're you kids up to?"  
"We believe that something may exist on that island for which we are searching," Guy told him. "Please, we require your assistance in order to reach this island."  
The boat captain scratched his stubble. "...Hmmm... Well, maybe I can take you kids there, if ya really wanna go that bad." He grinned. "But it'll cost ya."  
"We have some money," said Deckard. "How much do you want?"  
"I don't give a rat's behind about yer money," the captain interrupted, turning around. "But maybe if you girls gave me a nice kiss..."  
"W-What?" stammered Kyla. Guy stepped forward to say something, but Karen acted first.  
It was lucky that the captain's back was turned--or he would have seen the red in Karen's eyes. "Forget it, pig," she spat, trying to keep her voice under control. "You can just--"  
"Whoa, hold on, girl!" said the captain, turning back around. "I was only kidding!"  
"We did not find it very amusing," Guy retorted.  
The boat captain sighed. "Maybe it was in bad taste, but I didn't mean it. Anyway, don't worry 'bout yer money, I don't want it. I'll take you kids to yer island and back."  
"Really?" said Kyla, surprised. "You really don't want any money?"  
The man shook his head. "Naw, don't bother with it. I was bored anyway. All I ever do lately is sit 'n sleep here, so I ain't got anything better t'do." He looked the four of them over. "So what're your names, anyways?"  
Karen, Guy, Deckard, and Kyla introduced themselves. "Pleased t'meetcha," said the boat captain. "I'm Cap'n Barnabas Skyvar," he said. "But you can call me 'Cap'n Barney.'" He gestured at the boat he was standing on. "And this is the love o' my life, the Cerulean Princess." He smiled. "You kids're lucky ya came to me. Most other guys in this place wouldn't bother with ya, even if y'offered 'em money."  
Kyla smiled back. "It's nice to meet you, Captain Barney," she said. "Thank you again for helping us."  
"I said don't worry 'bout it," replied Captain Skyvar. "Just climb aboard, and we'll get outta here."

"Wow," said Deckard, looking over the side of the boat as they sped over the open ocean. "This boat moves pretty fast for being--"  
"Watch yer words, kid," warned Captain Skyvar from the helm. "I don't mind helpin' you kids, but poke fun at m'princess, and yer goin' overboard."  
Deckard sighed. "Sorry, Mister Skyv--"  
"And it's Cap'n Barney to ya," Skyvar interrupted without looking back.  
With another, deeper sigh, Deckard replied, "Sorry, Captain Barney." He resumed looking at the waves.  
Kyla, sitting on another aluminum lawn chair that Skyvar had brought out from inside the boat, looked up at the captain. "So, Captain Barney, what do you do for a living?"  
Skyvar glanced back at her. "Nothin', Miss Kyla."  
"Nothing?" Karen repeated incredulously, from where she was sitting in the corner of the boat.  
"I'm retired," Skyvar elaborated. "Used to be in the Eaglish army, way back when... 'Bout the time that Giygas what's-'is-name showed up."  
Karen blinked in surprise. "You fought in the war against Giygas?" she asked, clearly interested.  
Skyvar laughed. "Fightin's hardly th' word for it, Miss Karen," he explained. "Whole world was frickin' swamped with crazy space invaders and movin' objects that shouldn't be movin', the army just couldn't keep up. We spent the whole war goin' from town to town, just takin' care o' the casualties."  
He paused for a moment. "Then we had to take care o' the crazy kooks goin' on about how the end o' the world was 'ere and whatnot, and keep 'em in line." He scratched at his stubble. "Though I can't say I blame 'em; back then it really did look like the end o' the world was 'ere."  
Skyvar looked back at them. "But it wasn't the end o' the world after all. Next thing we know, the Giygas guy gets whipped by a bunch o' teenagers, and the space aliens just up an' disappear."  
Karen smiled slightly, reaching up to touch her hat.  
Not noticing, Skyvar continued with his story. "After that 'ole mess, I got out o' the army and decided to live the dream I always had ever since I was a lil' kid: t'buy a boat an' live the life o' leisure on the waves o' the sea. I used m'army pension to buy the princess, and became a fisherman here in the Fourside pier. They just built it, back then."  
He looked down at his boat. "Then I spent too many years workin' as a fisherman, me and m'princess. Finally I got tired o' fishin' an' called it quits a couple years back. Now me and the princess just hang around the Fourside dock, waitin' to see if anything interestin' shows up." He looked back at them and grinned. "Like you kids."  
Kyla looked up at Guy, who was fiddling with his new weapon. "What are you doing, Guy?" she asked.  
Guy looked down at her. "I believe that I should test the accuracy of the Sun Sniper before I use it in an actual battle," he explained. "I am reasonably certain that it is calibrated properly, but if it is not, then it could cost us our lives."  
Skyvar looked back at Guy's gun. "You kids're packin' some real heat," he said. "What are ya, Guy, a walkin' arsenal?"  
Guy looked back at the captain, but Kyla answered for him. "They're his specialty," she said. "Guy builds weapons to protect us, and he's very good at it."  
Guy smiled. "You do not have to exaggerate so, Kyla," he said. "It is only a hobby of mine..."  
"I wasn't exaggerating," Kyla corrected.  
Skyvar shrugged. "You can do what y'like, as long as ya don't blow any holes in the princess." He turned back forward again.  
Guy looked back out over the ocean. "The trouble is, I lack a viable target on which to test the Sun Sniper."  
"Maybe I can help," said Karen. She raised her hand and whispered, "PSI Freeze Alpha."  
Another ball of ice, similar to the one she had made before, coalesced in Karen's hand. "See if you can hit this, Guy," she said, tossing the ball behind her and over the edge of the boat.  
"Thank you, Karen," said Guy gratefully. He moved over to the back of the boat and looked; the ice ball was floating on the waves, shrinking into the distance as the boat moved away from it.  
Guy leaned on the edge of the boat, brought the rifle up to his shoulder, and looked through the scope, aiming at the ice ball. He flipped a switch on the scope, and his view automatically zoomed in on his target, automatically adjusting itself as they moved farther and farther away. Guy adjusted his aim to target the center of the ice ball, steadied his aim, and squeezed the trigger.  
Everyone looked as a brilliant yellow beam erupted from the end of Guy's rifle. It pierced through the ball of ice, shattering it.  
Guy watched the ice ball explode through the rifle scope, and smiled with satisfaction. "It operates perfectly," he declared proudly. He broke his aim and set the weapon's safety. "The Sun Sniper is a success."  
Kyla clapped her hands excitedly. "Great job, Guy!" she praised.  
Karen smiled, not saying anything. She thought back to the last time Guy had built a weapon, how proud he had been then... _Guy, this really is your calling..._ she thought warmly.  
Skyvar shook his head slowly. "Must be a real crazy era these days, with kids carryin' around firepower like that..."  
Deckard was about to speak when he suddenly felt something brush at the back of his mind... Almost as if something had called to him.  
He blinked, trying to clear the feeling away, but it remained; instead, it grew a little stronger.  
Then Deckard remembered Lode Spire.  
"Hey," he said, getting everyone's attention, "Do you feel that?"  
Karen stood up and looked forward. "Yes... I can feel it."  
Guy stopped fiddling with the Sun Sniper and turned. "I can, as well," he stated.  
"I feel it, too..." added Kyla, looking up from where she was sitting.  
Karen looked at the three of them, and nodded. "It's just like in Quattro City," she said. "We really are getting close to the fourth Sanctuary."  
"It feels stronger, though," Deckard observed. "The attraction, I mean. We could barely feel it in Quattro City, but it's very noticeable now."  
Karen nodded again. "It must be true, then," she said. "With each Sanctuary we visit, our affinity to them grows stronger and stronger." She smiled. "This is really good; this feeling should make the Sanctuaries easier to find."  
Captain Skyvar looked to each of them, bewildered. "What're you kids goin' on about?" he asked. "Feelin's and attractions, and Sanctuaries, and whatnot."  
The four youths turned and glanced at each other. "...Should we tell him?" asked Kyla.  
Deckard shrugged. "I don't see what harm it could do."  
"Me neither," said Karen. "I'm not using my telepathy right now, but somehow... I can tell that he's a good man."  
"I agree," Guy added. "After all, he is quite kindly ferrying us across the ocean for no cost. I believe that it is only fair that he knows why."  
With a nod, Kyla smiled. "I think so too." Her gaze shifted to Skyvar, who was now looking perplexed. "I'll tell him."  
Skyvar sighed. "And now you kids're talkin' about me right in front o' me," he lamented. "Not exactly polite 'n all..."  
Standing up, Kyla faced him. "We're very sorry about that, Captain Barney," she apologized. "Let me tell you why we're going to this island..."

Finally, she finished explaining. "...And that's why we need to go to this island, Captain Barney," she said. "And we really appreciate you taking us there."  
Skyvar looked back at her. "...That's some story, Miss Kyla," he said. "A lot o' people'd probably call you kids crazy 'n send ya t'some institution or somethin'."  
"I know it sounds crazy," Karen agreed, "but--"  
"But I don't think any one o' you kids're crazy," Skyvar interrupted. "I believe every word ya told me."  
Deckard stared at him. "You do?"  
Skyvar nodded. "I was in the Eaglish army 30 years ago," he told them again. "I saw the things those space invaders did. I heard how those kids back then beat down that Giygas guy." He paused. "And after the war, I always had a feelin' the aliens might come back."  
He looked back again, his eyes resting on each of them. "I'm not a very smart guy," he admitted. "I don't really get everythin' ya told me about Chosen Eight and Sanctuaries and some song, but I don't need t'be smart to know this: what you kids're doin' is important. Real important." He smiled at them and nodded, and then saluted them. "And that's why I'm gonna help you kids as much as I can. Cap'n Barnabas Skyvar is at yer service, kids."  
Kyla smiled warmly; Captain Skyvar, for all his superficial gruffness, was truly a good person. "Thank you, Captain Barney. Thank you very much." The others nodded.  
Still grinning, the captain turned around and faced forward again. "Aw, don't get all mushy on me," he said with a wave of his hand. "I just--hey, we're 'ere!" He pointed at the coastline that had suddenly shown up in the distance. "There it is, kids. That's the island."  
As their destination came into view, the four youths felt the strange attraction even more strongly. "This really is it," Karen commented. "The place where we'll find the fourth Sanctuary..."

When they finally reached the island, Captain Skyvar found a small beach and stopped the boat. "Here we are, kids."  
"Okay, then..." said Karen, preparing to get off the boat. She turned back to the captain. "You don't have to wait here for us, Captain Barney; we have another way back." Deckard winced as he heard this.  
Kyla nodded in agreement. "Yes, you can go back to Fourside, Captain Barney. Thank you very much--"  
Captain Skyvar interrupted her. "I'll be doin' nothin' o' the sort," he corrected. "I'm comin' with you kids."  
Guy shook his head. "That will not be necessary, Captain Barney," he said. "Considering our past experiences with places such as this, it will most likely be very dangerous."  
"All th'more reason for me t'come," Skyvar replied. "You kids may have fancy gadgets and superpowers, but there's no way I can let ya off on yer own in a place like this and still call m'self a man."  
Reaching underneath the boat's console, the captain pulled out a rusted, tarnished fishing harpoon. "I'm comin' with ya, and that's final."  
Deckard looked at Karen. "Our last time near a Sanctuary wasn't exactly safe," he reminded her. "I don't know about you, but if he wants to come with us, I say we could use all the help we can get."  
Karen slowly nodded her concession. "Just please be careful, Captain Barney," she said, concerned for him. "These places get very dangerous..."  
Skyvar grinned. "Don't ya worry about me, Miss Karen," he said. "I was in the army; I can take care o' myself."

The island of the fourth Sanctuary was much different than anything they had seen previously.  
Upon disembarking from the boat, they were greeted by a dead, barren landscape. The ground was covered with dust, occasionally disturbed by a gust of wind or their feet. The only vegetation the group could see were dead trees, broken and almost completely stripped of their branches. The only sound came from their footsteps and the ocean waves behind them.  
"It looks like a tornado came through here," Kyla remarked. Her voice echoed through the dead forest.  
Karen studied their surroundings, listening for some other sound of life, but she heard nothing. "It's too quiet," she said uncomfortably. "There's no sign of life anywhere."  
"That's good, though," said Deckard, pleased. "That means we shouldn't find any Madness creatures around here." He grinned. "Maybe this Sanctuary is unguarded, even."  
"I would not count on that," Guy retorted. Cradling the Sun Sniper in his right arm, holding the Equalizer in his left, and with the Righteous Cannon strapped across his back, he looked like a sci-fi Rambo. "Every Sanctuary before this one has been guarded. There is no reason to assume that this one will not be as well."  
Deckard turned and looked him over. "Do you really need all of those?"  
"I am not going to take any chances," Guy answered.  
Captain Skyvar looked out into the wasteland, leaning on his harpoon. "Place's like a ghost island or somethin'," he said. "You kids really think you'll find what yer lookin' for 'ere?"  
Kyla nodded, holding up the GPS-MOA for them to see. The device's map had been zoomed in on the island, and there was a glowing red dot at its center. "It's definitely here, in the middle of the island," she told them. "I wonder why it would be in a place like this, though...?"  
"Maybe it caused whatever happened to this place," said Karen. "We really don't have time to think about that, though. Let's go to the Sanctuary."  
As Deckard thought about actually going through the dead forest, he suddenly felt apprehensive, and he regretted his earlier words. "Be careful, though; there's something wrong with this place."  
"He's right," seconded Karen, who had felt it too. "I don't think this place is as empty as it looks..."

As they trekked through the dead forest, the silence only became worse. A dense fog had settled over everything, and it was beginning to get dark. "There really is something wrong with this place," said Deckard anxiously. His voice reverberated uncomfortably through the dead trees; breaking the silence almost felt like a blasphemy.  
"Indeed," Guy agreed with a nod. "This place certainly gives new meaning to the phrase 'silent as the grave.'"  
"Maybe ya shouldn't talk about graves here, kid," replied Captain Skyvar uncomfortably.  
Kyla, constantly watching the GPS-MOA to make sure they were heading in the right direction, looked up at the trees. "I wonder what did this...? A tornado, or maybe a hurricane...?"  
"I think it's more than that," Karen suggested. "Even if a tornado did do this, there would still be life here. But there's nothing; it's like everything's been erased..."  
Suddenly she stopped. "Wait!" she exclaimed. "Something's wrong."  
Everyone else stopped as well. Deckard, who had already halted, glanced around nervously, feeling the hair on his skin stand up.  
"What is it?" asked Kyla. "What's going on?"  
"Something's here," Karen said, looking around. "I don't know where or what it is, but I can feel it."  
"Me too," added Deckard. "But where is it...?"  
Suddenly his eyes widened, and he knew. "Behind us!"  
Everyone whirled around, and then they found that the dead forest was not empty after all. A strange, semi-transparent, formless shape emerged from one of the trees, floating in the air.  
"It's... It's a ghost!" cried Kyla.  
Skyvar's face went white. "Holy mother o'--"  
The ghost turned toward them, and then they saw the one feature in its amorphous shape: two glaring red eyes, eyes of death. It began to float toward them...  
Skyvar threw his harpoon at it. The projectile flew straight through the ghost, not harming it at all, and thudded into a tree behind it. "What the--"  
Frantically putting away the GPS-MOA, Kyla brought up her Gaia Beam, and used it for the first time.  
A brilliant bolt of light, much larger than the beam from Guy's Equalizer, speared forth from the end of the weapon and pierced through the ghost--without harming it. Kyla's mouth opened in horrified surprise. "It... It has no mass..." she said. "We can't harm it..."  
Guy raised his Equalizer and fired at the ghost; the smaller beam did not fare any better than the Gaia Beam. "How can we defeat this?" he asked, at a loss.  
Karen raised her hand, her eyes turning as red as the ghost's. "PSI Beam Gamma!"  
The psychic beam pierced through the ghost--ripping a hole in it. The ghost's form roiled around like smoke, and it gave off an unearthly cry, injured.  
"PSI," said Karen triumphantly. "Use PSI, Deckard!"  
Deckard grinned and concentrated. "Right! PSI Thunder Gamma!"  
Three bolts of lightning arched out and smote the ghost simultaneously, electrocuting it. Letting out another odd cry, it dissipated into mist and vanished.  
"You did it!" said Kyla.  
"Not yet," said Deckard and Karen at the same time.  
All around them, more ghosts emerged from the dead trees, floating toward them. "We're surrounded!" cried Skyvar.  
Deckard got on one side of them. "Karen, guard the back!" he called. "Everyone else, just stay down!"  
Karen did as she was told, moving over to protect the group's rear. "I won't let any of them through," she said.  
The ghosts moved closer. "Stay back!" yelled Deckard. "PSI Thunder Gamma!" The three bolts struck three separate ghosts, destroying them.  
Karen raised a hand. "PSI Fire Gamma!" The resulting flames incinerated five of the ghosts.  
Still, more and more ghosts were appearing, flying at the intruders in the dead forest. Deckard had no idea what the ghosts were planning to do to them, but he had no intention of finding out. _I need to get more of them!_ Deckard thought fiercely. He raised his hand. "PSI Fire Beta!"  
The flames that spread from his hand struck a large group of ghosts, burning them away.  
Kyla knelt between them. She knew that there was nothing she could do to help Deckard or Karen; her only weapon was ineffective. She had to trust them to handle it.  
Guy crouched next to Kyla, feeling useless. _I can't do anything without PSI,_ he thought dejectedly. _I can't stop the ghosts... I can't protect Kyla._  
Skyvar sat on the ground, his only weapon stuck in a tree some distance away. Unable to do anything, he cheered Deckard and Karen on. "Take that, ya blasted ghosts!" he shouted, shaking his fist at them. "Ya picked th' wrong group o' kids to bully!"  
Karen raised both of her hands; she hadn't tried this since her fight with Mister P, but now she had no choice. "PSI Fire Gamma! PSI Fire Gamma!"  
A twin blast of flames exploded from both of her outstretched hands, incinerating many of the ghosts. Deckard turned around in surprise. "What was that?"  
"Behind you, Deckard!" Kyla exclaimed.  
Deckard whirled back around to find that the ghosts were almost upon him; the nearest one was right in front of him. Instinctively, he drew the Shining Wind Sword and slashed it without thinking--and the ghost fell in two, dissipating.  
Surprised, he looked at his weapon. _The Shining Wind Sword can cut ghosts...?_  
He had no time to think about that now; more ghosts were approaching. "I'll get you all in one shot!" he yelled, concentrating hard. "PSI Chain-Lightning Alpha!"  
A giant bolt of lightning appeared from his hand and struck the nearest ghost, then moved on to others, electrocuting nearly all of the ghosts on his side.  
Meanwhile, on Karen's side, more ghosts were coming, despite her double fire attack. _I guess I'll have to step it up, like Deckard,_ she thought. "PSI Pyro-Tower Alpha!"  
The huge spiked pillar of fire exploded into being. Ghosts and dead trees alike were cremated as it moved throughout the area, leaving nothing in its path unharmed. Finally Karen couldn't maintain it anymore, and her Pyro-Tower burned itself out, vanishing.  
And there were still ghosts coming, despite both her and Deckard's best efforts.  
Deckard glanced back at her. "I can't do another Chain-Lightning," he said. "I've used up too much energy."  
Karen nodded. "I'll handle it with Pyro-Tower, then," she declared. She raised her hand at the ghosts again. "PSI Pyro-Tower Al--"  
She broke off as she suddenly felt a massive pain in her chest, causing her to double over. _What the...?_  
"I have to... do it..." She raised her hand a third time. "PSI Pyr--"  
She felt an even larger pain in her chest then, cutting her off completely; it spread throughout her body, flooding her with agony. _What's happening to me?_  
Everyone looked at Karen in surprise as she collapsed to the ground, crying in pain. Her red eyes faded back to black. "Karen, what's wrong?" asked Kyla, concerned.  
"I... I can't move..." Karen rasped, her body shaking. "It... hurts..."  
Deckard looked up; the ghosts were still approaching. "I'll have to handle it, then..." He raised his hand again, concentrating. "PSI Chain-Lightning Alpha!"  
Nothing happened; Deckard let his arm fall. _It's as I thought... I can't concentrate enough energy to do another one. And if I can't do Chain-Lightning, then I definitely can't do Eternal Wind Sword..._ He looked at his sword. _Then, there's only one option left._  
"I won't let you get us without a fight!" Deckard yelled, charging forward and laying into the ghosts with his sword. He slashed over and over again, cutting ghosts apart left and right.  
Even this last frenzied attack was not enough, however; more and more ghosts flew at them, and Deckard was starting to tire physically as well as mentally.  
He suddenly felt a cold chill in his shoulder, and looked back; a ghost was touching him there, its form almost seeming to flow into his body. "I won't let you!" he screamed, slashing it apart with the sword; the chill was slow to go away, however.  
He felt another chill on his leg, and slashed down, cutting that ghost as well. But others were nearing as well; he wouldn't be able to get all of them.  
Skyvar, seeing Deckard in trouble, got up and ran over to try and help... And was assaulted by the ghosts himself.  
Karen still lay on the ground, immobilized. The horrible pain still affected her; she couldn't move.  
Guy, still on the ground, cursed himself over and over. _If only I had PSI... I can't do anything because I don't have PSI._  
Kyla looked at Guy, her green eyes filled with sadness. "This... This is really it, isn't it... We're going to die here. The Chosen Eight are going to fail..." She moved closer and huddled next to him, on the verge of crying. "In the end, we weren't able to make a difference after all..."  
Guy looked back at her... And a new resolve grew in his heart. "Wait here, Kyla," he said, standing up. "I will handle it."  
She looked up at him, her eyes wide with concern. "Guy, what are you doing...?"  
"I will take care of this," said Guy. "I promise."  
He raised the Sun Sniper to his shoulder as the ghosts came closer and closer. "I have no PSI..." he said, more to himself than to anyone else. "I have no special power. I am just an ordinary human being."  
He looked down at Kyla, and then looked up again. "But I... I don't need it!" he shouted to the world around him. "I will protect Kyla, and everyone else, with my own two hands... With my own abilities! I DON'T NEED PSI!"  
Kyla stared up at him, speechless.  
Guy aimed at the nearest ghost with his rifle and pulled the trigger.  
The blinding golden beam erupted from the Sun Sniper. It pierced through the ghost Guy had aimed at... And the ghost burned away, screaming in despair.  
The other ghosts stopped. They all stared at the youth and his rifle, hesitating. Then, without a sound, they floated away and disappeared. The ghosts attacking Deckard and Skyvar left as well, vanishing into the trees.  
Guy lowered his rifle. _I did it... I stopped them. And I did it without PSI._  
He looked down at Kyla, who was staring up at him, her eyes shining with adoration. "Guy, you really did it... You saved us."

"How did the Sun Sniper work on the ghosts?" asked Deckard, as they were resting to get their strength back. Although the dead forest was as ominous as ever, no more ghosts appeared to threaten them; they appeared to have gone. Although Deckard felt better from his ordeal, the horrible chill in his body refused to fully disappear. "Kyla's Gaia Beam and your Equalizer didn't work, so why did the rifle?"  
Karen was silent, sitting on the ground. The horrible pain had gone, but the memory of it was still fresh in her mind. She was deeply troubled by it; nothing like that had ever happened to her before.  
"It must have been the solar energy," Kyla reasoned; she was sitting next to Guy, significantly close to him. "Unlike our other guns, your Sun Sniper is powered by solar energy, Guy. That must have had something to do with it."  
Skyvar frowned; he was sitting on the ground, having retrieved his harpoon. "It doesn't make sense," he said. "If sunlight hurts 'em, why'd they come out in the daytime?"  
"Well... It is overcast at the moment," Guy speculated. "Perhaps they are only vulnerable to direct sunlight; in that case, the rifle's focused laser possesses the property of direct sunlight, which is something I did not expect when I built the weapon..."  
Karen watched Guy as he spoke. Despite what had happened to her, she was truly glad that Guy had been the one to defeat the ghosts. He was different now; he seemed happier and more spirited, and there was a confidence in his voice that had not been there before. _He's just like me,_ she understood. _After I beat Pokey in Onett, I felt the same way._  
She grinned, holding back a laugh. _And he said "don't" instead of "do not," TWICE. There's hope for you yet, Guy._  
"It's too bad Zain wasn't here for this, then," Deckard lamented. "His Hyperion attack would have blown all the ghosts away."  
"Well, he's not here," said Karen. "And even if he was, it wouldn't be fair to make him do all the work. He said it himself: no one of us is more important than any other." She reached over and patted Guy on the shoulder. "And even people without PSI are capable of amazing things."

After resting, they continued onward. Although they were constantly on guard against further attacks, they did not see a single ghost. It was as if the forest were as empty as it had originally seemed to be.  
Finally, Kyla stopped them. "Wait," she said, looking at the GPS-MOA. "According to this, we're almost there."  
Looking ahead, Karen inspected the trees in front of them, and noticed something odd. Strangely, the dead trees were situated closer and closer together ahead, almost forming a wall... A wall with a single opening, directly in front of them. "Does anyone else get the feeling that we're almost being herded to a certain point?" she asked.  
Deckard nodded. "It looks that way to me, too..."  
Karen sighed. "Then I would bet money on what we're going to find if we go through that passage."  
Skyvar looked at her. "The Sanctuary thing you've been lookin' for?"  
"Yes," said Guy. "We shall find the Sanctuary beyond that passage. However, it is likely that we will encounter... something else first."  
"That's what I thought, too," said Deckard. "Captain Barney, you should probably wait here. Things are going to get very dangerous."  
Skyvar laughed. "A lil' danger don't scare me," he retorted. "I came this far with you kids, I ain't turnin' back now."  
Kyla turned the device off and put it away, as it was apparently no longer needed. "I wonder what we'll have to fight this time..." she pondered. "Maybe since we had to fight ghosts earlier, it will be some kind of mega-ghost."  
"It doesn't matter what it is, we won't know until we reach it," said Karen, changing the subject. "What DOES matter is that whatever it is, we're probably going to have a hard time fighting it." She looked to Deckard, then to Guy, then to Kyla, then finally to Skyvar. "We're missing Zain, Sasha, and Kato; that means we have no Hyperion, Shield Gamma, or Starstorm. So compared to the fight with the Deadly Pestilence Rat, our combined power will be a lot weaker."  
"But you and Deckard have Pyro-Tower and Chain-Lightning now," Kyla pointed out. "You two didn't know those powers when we fought the rat. You're both a lot stronger." She looked at Guy. "And Guy has the Righteous Cannon, plus he has the Sun Sniper now. We're all stronger than we were back then."  
Deckard frowned. "Chain-Lightning won't help in this fight," he explained. "I devised it for use against a large number of enemies. Against one enemy, it's no more useful than the standard PSI Thunder powers."  
"And Pyro-Tower... I probably can't use it more than once," Karen added, recalling the terrible pain. "I'll use it if we need it, but we can't count on it." She eyed Guy's weapons. "Guy, how many rounds do you have left for the Righteous Cannon?"  
Guy checked his supplies. "I have three remaining," he answered. He inspected the Sun Sniper. "The Sun Sniper seems to have a full charge, but in these overcast conditions, I do not know for certain how quickly it will recharge if it is used frequently."  
"And I have the Gaia Beam," Kyla added. _For all the use I've been with it so far..._ she added silently. "I... I don't know what I can do to help in the fight, but I'll do my best."  
"Don't worry," Karen assured her. "I trust you, Kyla. I know you'll be just fine."  
Kyla nodded and managed to smile. "Then, I'll do my best, I promise."

Cautiously, they headed into the "tree tunnel." As they passed through it, they soon became aware of a bright light coming from the other end. "There it is," said Karen. "Everyone, be ready."  
Soon they reached it, and all of their suspicions were confirmed. Once again, a bright, shining orb hovered in their path, giving off white light in all directions. "This is it, then," declared Deckard. "Take care, everyone."  
Skyvar blinked. "This is the thing you kids're scared of? A big light ball?"  
At that moment, the orb retracted all of its light and took form... And the group stared in awe as the fourth Sanctuary guardian rose before them.  
Guy took off his glasses, wiped them on his sleeve, and put them back on, certain that he was not seeing properly. "Can it be possible...?"  
"It's... a tree..." Kyla confirmed.  
A great tree stood before them. Unlike the rest of the forest around them, this tree was alive. It was not stripped of all its branches, and it was covered in lively green leaves.  
"Of all the things I thought it would be," Karen said in disbelief, "this never came to mind..."  
"Welcome, intruders," said the tree suddenly, startling them. The voice boomed forth from the trunk of the tree, but it did not seem to come from any visible mouth. "I am the Venerable Eldritch Oak, loyal follower of the master. Beyond here is Tempest Rock."  
Deckard blinked. "Tempest Rock? That's the name of this Sanctuary?"  
"Indeed," the Venerable Eldritch Oak confirmed. "The source of the terrible winds that devastated this land... Tempest Rock. But you are never going to reach it."  
Karen stepped up. "Please... Do we really have to fight? Not a tree... I don't want to kill a tree."  
The tree towered over them, and its leaves drooped a little. "I can feel the compassion in your voice," it said. "And I know that you are doing everything you can to prevent this invasion... But I cannot allow you to pass."  
"But why?" asked Kyla. "Why do you have to serve Giaguo? Why can't you just let us through to the Sanctuary?"  
The tree paused. "...A long time ago, a certain person came through here. He tried to take the power of Tempest Rock for himself, and for his hubris the Sanctuary reacted violently. The power of the Tempest surged forth in retribution, and all life on this island was erased."  
It motioned a branch toward the dead trees surrounding all of them. "Many of these trees were my friends," it said. "But they are all gone now... And so would I be gone, if not for the master."  
Suddenly, it seemed to stand up taller, the tree's branches extended further, making it appear as large as possible. "The master saved me; he gave me new life, and new power. In return... I will serve him. I will not allow you to pass here."  
Karen sighed. "I don't want to do this..." she said sadly. "But we have to reach Tempest Rock. We have to. If we don't, then we won't be able to change anything. If we have to fight you in order to reach the Sanctuary, then..." She held out her hand, and manifested her psychic sword. At the same time, Deckard drew his sword, Guy readied his weapons, Kyla brought up the Gaia Beam, and Skyvar raised his harpoon. "Then you don't leave us any choice."  
"I understand," said the Venerable Eldritch Oak. "But Tempest Rock is mine. If you want it, you will have to take it from me."  
The tree suddenly lashed out, sending a branch hurtling toward Karen like a spear. She had expected the attack, however, and she dodged to the side. As the branch lanced into the space where she had been standing, Karen brought her sword down, severing the limb. Golden sap oozed from the wound.  
At the same time, Guy and Kyla raised their weapons and started shooting; the beams found their mark on the tree's trunk, tearing into the wood and leaving blackened, burnt holes.  
The Venerable Eldritch Oak responded quickly, sending branch spears in their direction as well, faster than they expected. Before the branches could reach their targets, however, they were interrupted by Deckard, who sheared them off with his sword. He then raised his hand at the tree and attacked with his PSI. "PSI Fire Beta!"  
The flames struck the tree, searing and blackening it even more than the beams had. As before, the tree answered the attack, sending a branch shooting at Deckard. Before Deckard could react, however, Captain Skyvar intercepted the branch, pinning it to the ground with his harpoon.  
After making sure that none of the others were within the blast radius, Guy raised the Righteous Cannon to his shoulder and fired. His shot struck the tree's trunk and burst into a superheated explosion.  
When the smoke cleared, everyone saw that the most of the Venerable Eldritch Oak had been incinerated; almost all of its branches had been burned away, leaving only a blackened, charred trunk. Karen stared at it as she realized that it now resembled one of the other, dead trees all around them.  
She was about to move when, to their surprise, the Venerable Eldritch Oak spoke again. "...An impressive attack," it stated. "However, it will take more than fire to defeat me."  
The four youths and the boat captain looked on, dumbfounded, as the tree suddenly began to regenerate. The extensive burns on its trunk faded and disappeared. A new array of branches grew out from the trunk, and a plethora of leaves emerged from each one. In less than ten seconds, the Venerable Eldritch Oak stood before them once more in all its majesty, as if their attacks on it had never happened.  
"How...?" wondered Kyla.  
"This is the power granted to me by Master Giaguo," declared the Venerable Eldritch Oak. "It is the reason why I alone of all the trees here have survived. No matter how much you attack me, I will always revive."  
Sadly, Karen raised her hand. "Then... I'll have to make sure to destroy you completely, so there's nothing left to regenerate."  
"Do you think you can?" the tree asked.  
"I have to," Karen responded. She thought of Mister P and everything he had done to her, and her eyes turned red. "PSI Pyro-Tower Alpha!"  
Everyone watched as the giant spiked pillar of fire appeared and slammed into the tree, incinerating it. _Surely, such an attack must defeat it,_ Guy thought.  
He thought wrong. When Karen's Pyro-Tower burned out, the Venerable Eldritch Oak had been all but cremated... But a blackened, charred stump remained.  
Seeing that her attack hadn't finished it after all, Karen raised her hand again. "I have to get it before it regenerates," she stated. "PSI Pyro-Tow--"  
She broke off as her chest spasmed, sending shockwaves of agony throughout her body. "Aaah!"  
"Karen, what's wrong?" asked Kyla.  
Karen clutched at her chest, breathing heavily. _If I try that again, I'll be helpless on the ground again, like before..._ "I... can't do it again..." she said. "It hurts..."  
"Then I'll do it," said Deckard. He spread his fingers at the stump. "PSI Fire Beta!"  
His fire attack burned through the stump a little more, but failed to completely destroy it. "Guy, use the Righteous Cannon again!" he exclaimed.  
"Understood." Guy started to load another capsule into the weapon.  
"Too late," the tree declared. As before, it began to regenerate. By the time Guy finished loading his weapon and had raised it to shoot, the Venerable Eldritch Oak stood whole once more.  
Unsure of what to do next, Guy lowered the cannon; even if he were to shoot, at this point it would not be enough.  
The tree paused. "...Do you know why you are in pain, young female?" it suddenly asked.  
Karen blinked, taken aback. "What... What are you talking about?" Her body still hurt, and it was hard for her to breathe.  
"The attack you just used was extremely powerful and damaging," the Venerable Eldritch Oak told her. "Do you really think that you can just use an ability of that magnitude over and over again, whenever you wish?"  
Karen stared at the tree. "But... My empathic PSI..."  
"Using an ability like that places tremendous strain on the body," the tree explained. "There is a limit to how much strain the body can accept. Your body hurts because you have reached that limit; your body is rejecting your attempts to place more strain on it."  
Shaking her head, Karen struggled to absorb this information. _I've... reached my limit?_ she demanded of herself. _How can that be? Zain uses his empathic PSI over and over again, whenever he wants! Why can't I?_  
She thought back to the first time she had used Pyro-Tower; it had been right outside of Jeff's laboratory, when she, Kato, and Deckard had teamed up to hold off the army from Stonehenge. She had only used it once then, and had not bothered to try it again; afterward, the enemies had activated psychic power shields, and there had not been any reason for them to continue fighting.  
Then she had recently used Pyro-Tower in the fight against the ghosts. She had used it once, and then a subsequent attempt to use it had all but incapacitated her. And now, she was unable to use it more than once in this fight.  
Karen had devised her Pyro-Tower ability while they had been waiting for Guy to recover from their narrow escape from Giaguo and Kaatz. She had made it because she wanted to be stronger. Now it seemed like her ability was too strong, if she only was able to use it once...  
She gritted her teeth, angry at herself. _How can this be my limit? How can I have reached my limit after only one attack?_  
She fell to her knees, feeling more useless than ever. "Why...?"  
The Venerable Eldritch Oak suddenly reared up and pulled itself out of the ground, standing on its roots as if they were legs; the sight reminded them almost disturbingly of a spider. "You cannot defeat me," it declared. "You lack the power. And if you cannot defeat me, then there is absolutely no way that you could stand up to Master Giaguo." The tree shifted position, aiming more spear-like branches at the group. "It will be an act of charity to end your lives here."  
"You think it'll be that easy?" Deckard retorted. "I've still got a lot of fight left in me!" He raised his sword.  
"As do I," Guy added, bringing his reloaded Righteous Cannon to his shoulder.  
"Me too," said Kyla, holding her Gaia Beam at the ready.  
Captain Skyvar grasped his harpoon. "An' I'm only gettin' started too!" he yelled.  
Deckard turned to Guy. "Guy, I want you to shoot the tree with the Righteous Cannon again," he explained. Then he looked at Kyla. "Kyla, you shoot at the same time he does. After that... I'll hit it with everything I have." He paused. "If this works, then it'll be completely destroyed so that nothing is left to regenerate."  
Kyla stared back at him, concerned. "Hit it with everything you have? You mean..."  
With a nod, Deckard looked at his sword. "I'm going to use Eternal Wind Sword."  
Guy shook his head in protest. "You cannot, Deckard!" he exclaimed. "If you use that attack..."  
"It's a gamble," Deckard replied. "We're only going to have one shot at this, so... Whatever you two do, don't miss."  
The Venerable Eldritch Oak focused on Deckard. "You intend to use that sword on me?" it inquired. "It will not work."  
"And why is that?" demanded Deckard.  
"I can feel your weapon's power," the tree answered. "It is not strong enough to cause the damage required to destroy me completely. Even if you and your allies combine your attack, it will not be enough."  
Deckard looked at the Shining Wind Sword in his hand. _It's true..._ he regretfully admitted to himself. He remembered how he had used its power in their previous battle with Kaatz... And how that power had not been enough. _When I use Eternal Wind Sword, it's all or nothing. I pour everything I have into that attack, every fiber of my being... And yet it's not enough..._ His hand started to shake. _This sword couldn't keep Lexa from being kidnapped..._  
Deckard angrily wiped a tear away. "...I guess we'll just have to find out," he said, both to his enemy and to himself. He turned back to Guy and Kyla. "Let's do this. It's our only option."  
Guy started to say something, then stopped. "...I understand. Very well." He aimed the cannon at the tree. "Instruct me when to fire, and I shall do so."  
Kyla slowly nodded. "Do your best, Deckard."  
Skyvar grinned at Deckard and gave him a thumbs-up. "I'm rootin' for ya all th' way, kid," he encouraged. "Blow that thing back t' wherever it came from."  
Deckard smiled back at them. "Here we go." He faced the Venerable Eldritch Oak and raised his sword. _Shining Wind Sword... Please don't fail. You were once wielded by a great hero who saved the people of Dalaam... And now, I have people I want to save too._  
He began to concentrate, gathering all of his mental energy. "There's someone important to me," he said. "Before I met her, I always walked alone." He thought back to that fateful day. _From now on, I'll always notice you..._  
"She changed my life," Deckard declared. "Because of her... I'm not alone anymore."  
He stared at the tree, suddenly understanding. "You said that many of the trees around us were your friends. How lonely you must be, now that they're all gone..."  
The Venerable Eldritch Oak did not respond.  
Deckard kept concentrating, willing all of his being into his sword. Energy began to crackle around him as the power built up. "You of all must know what it's like to have everything important in your life taken away. My everything was taken away too. And I promised her, and myself, that I would never stop until I saved her!" He raised the Shining Wind Sword higher; as he did, it began to glow with a white light. "That is my resolve. I will definitely defeat you!"  
Without looking back, he called, "Now, Guy!"  
Guy fired the Righteous Cannon at the tree. At the same time, Kyla fired the Gaia Beam.  
Once more, the Venerable Eldritch Oak was wrapped in a fiery explosion. The beam from Kyla's weapon pierced through it, causing even more damage. When the smoke cleared, most of the tree had been obliterated... But a sizable amount still remained.  
Then, to everyone's surprise, Karen stood up. _Deckard is right,_ she knew. "My... My everything was taken away too," she said, her eyes turning red again. "I swore I would get him back too." She stretched out her hand and called her power forth, ignoring the pain. "And my resolve has no limit! PSI Pyro-Tower Alpha!"  
"Impossible--" said the Venerable Eldritch Oak, just as Karen's fire smashed into it.  
Guy and Kyla watched as Karen's second attack ravaged their enemy. If possible, it was even larger than her first Pyro-Tower. After it finally burned itself out, only a burned stump remained, as before.  
Karen let her hand fall and weakly turned to Deckard; it felt as if every nerve in her body was on fire. "It's... all up to you now, Deckard..." She collapsed to the ground, unconscious.  
Deckard faced the stump. _I won't let it be in vain, Karen..._ he promised. "This is for you, Lexa! PSI Eternal Wind Sword Alpha!"  
The air around him exploded into a sonic boom as he struck, slashing at the Venerable Eldritch Oak over and over again as fast as he could, with everything he had. The Shining Wind Sword was nothing but a flash of light as he cut. _I will definitely defeat this enemy,_ he promised. _For you, Lexa... I will become the wind._  
Finally, he could not swing his sword anymore. He fell to one knee, feeling more exhausted than ever before.  
The area around him was covered with sawdust. Of the giant tree that had faced them, only a small, round piece of wood remained.  
"This might still regenerate..." worried Deckard, his speech heavily slurred. "I have to destroy it too..."  
It was very difficult for him to even move. With every last bit of effort he had in him, he managed to lift his sword one last time. "I... will..."  
With his last energy, he brought the sword down. The blade struck the wood, splitting it in half. As Deckard passed out and slumped to the ground, the piece of wood broke apart, revealing a single acorn inside.

Guy, Kyla, and Skyvar, the only ones still conscious, stared at the acorn. "Is... Is it going to regenerate again?" Kyla wondered.  
"No," replied the Venerable Eldritch Oak's voice, sounding very diminished. The three of them looked at the ground; the voice was coming from the acorn. "Your combined attack has defeated me; there is not enough of me left to regenerate. Well done, Chosen Eight..."  
Skyvar slowly shook his head, bewildered. "Talkin' acorns..." he muttered. "Now I've seen everythin'."  
Guy glared at the acorn. "'Well done?'" he repeated. "But you were attempting to prevent us from reaching the Sanctuary! Explain yourself!"  
The seed did not answer right away. "...Originally, I had died along with all of the other trees when the power of Tempest Rock was released upon the island," it finally explained. "Then, Master Giaguo restored me, and gave me new life and power; it is because of that power that I am even able to speak to you in your language." It paused. "But Master Giaguo's gift came with a price: my revived body would only continue to function as long as I carried out the master's will. The moment I ceased to obey that will, I would cease to exist as well."  
Kyla looked down, lowering her weapon. "You mean, the only reason you fought us was--"  
"Because I had to," the acorn finished for her. "In truth, I had no wish to battle you. If Master Giaguo and his kind subjugate this planet, there will be many more dead places in the world than this one island."  
Guy looked around at all the dead trees surrounding them. "Indeed, we cannot allow that to happen..."  
"If there is anything that can stop Master Giaguo, it is you children," the Venerable Eldritch Oak continued. "So please, continue onward and accept the power of Tempest Rock, which you have rightly earned."  
"But what about you?" Kyla asked.  
Again, the Venerable Eldritch Oak did not answer right away. "...The power granted to me by Master Giaguo is gone," it answered. "I will not be able to speak with you for much longer; I can already feel my life fading. I will soon die." As it spoke, its voice became quieter and less powerful than it was before.  
Kyla lowered her head sadly. "But... That isn't fair. You were forced to fight us, and now this..."  
"It is acceptable to me," the seed answered, its voice fading away. "As I have told you, I should already be dead. I am grateful for the extra life that I was allowed to have, brief as it was."  
As she looked at it, Kyla actually saw that the acorn's color was fading along with its voice; it was becoming as dull as its surroundings.  
"...Do not give up, Chosen Eight," the seed implored them, sounding very far away now; its voice was almost gone. "As you have just witnessed, when all of you combine your resolve, and put forth all your effort... Wondrous things can happen. Do not forget this, Chosen Eight, and persevere..."  
The last of the acorn's color faded, and it did not speak again.  
Guy hung his head. "...This guardian was definitely unlike the others we have encountered," he said.  
Kyla gazed sorrowfully at the dead seed. _Why did this have to happen...?_ she wondered. _This tree was not evil, and Giaguo forced it to fight us... It isn't fair._  
Coming to a decision, she bent down, picked up the acorn, and put it in her pocket. "What are you doing?" asked Guy.  
"There has to be a reason why the core of the Venerable Eldritch Oak was this seed," Kyla answered. "When I find the right place... I'm going to plant it."  
Guy nodded slowly, and then looked ahead. "Let us proceed to Tempest Rock. Once we have arrived there, Karen and Deckard should be revitalized."  
Both Guy and Kyla started as they heard something behind them. They turned around to see Skyvar; Deckard's unconscious body was slung over his shoulder, and he was carrying Karen in his arms. "I couldn't do much in yer fight," he said regretfully, "but at least, I can do this."  
Kyla smiled at him. "Thank you, Captain Barney."

They continued onward. Unexpectedly, the dead trees became more and more sparse, and soon there were none around them. And then they saw Tempest Rock.  
The fourth Sanctuary was aptly named. A giant stone was embedded in the ground; it was larger than a house. Around the stone spiraled a giant tornado, extending up into the sky. Despite the twister's size, however, it was rather quiet, and despite the condition of the island that it had allegedly killed, it did not seem very powerful. Guy, Kyla, and Skyvar were able to walk right up to it without any danger at all.  
"...So this is Tempest Rock," Guy stated in wonder.  
Skyvar stared wide-eyed at it as he gently lowered Karen and Deckard to the ground. "...I was wrong before," he said. "Now I really 'AVE seen everythin'..."  
Deckard wearily opened his eyes and sat up, feeling completely drained. When he noticed the sight before him, however, he temporarily forgot his fatigue. "Is... Is that...?"  
Noticing he was awake, Skyvar helped Deckard to his feet. Guy looked back at him. "Indeed, Deckard," he said, "this is Tempest Rock."  
As Deckard looked at the Sanctuary, he suddenly had the odd feeling that he had seen it before. "Why does it seem so familiar?" he asked, to no one in particular. He forced his tired body to shamble forward, to stand right in front of it.  
For some reason, the giant tornado right in front of him did not frighten him at all. He reached through the whirlwind and placed his hand on the rock inside it; the stone was smooth, worn down by the wind that inexplicably spiraled around it.  
_You've done pretty good, Deckard,_ said a voice suddenly, from beside him. Confused, he turned and looked.  
Standing next to him was a young man in his mid-twenties. He had wavy light brown hair, and dark brown eyes filled with kindness.  
Deckard grinned, elated; Guy had been right about the Sanctuaries. "Hi, Dad," he said. "It's been a really long time..." His parents had died when he was a small boy; he had not seen either of them in many years.  
Leroy Petersen grinned back. _You've come a long way, son,_ he responded. _You became strong, and now you have good friends. I'm proud of you._  
Deckard nodded, closing his eyes. "Yeah..."  
_I'm going to give you a new power,_ said the image. _Draw your sword._  
Puzzled, Deckard did as he was told, and held the Shining Wind Sword out to his father. _Your weapon's not as strong as it used to be,_ the image explained. _Over the years, most of its power has been lost._  
Deckard blinked, taken aback. He examined the sword. "I... had no idea..."  
His father smiled. _Throw the sword into the wind, son,_ he instructed, _and the power of the Tempest will restore it._  
"Okay." Deckard raised the Shining Wind Sword and flung it into the tornado.  
Everyone watched as the sword was drawn up into the sky by the Tempest and disappeared from view. Deckard turned back to look at his father again, but the image had also disappeared.  
Suddenly Deckard, Guy, Kyla, and Skyvar were startled by a giant clap of thunder and a flash of lightning. The Shining Wind Sword plummeted down and embedded itself into the ground a few feet away from Deckard. It was not the same.  
"Wow..." said Kyla as they all gazed at the transformed sword in wonder.  
Deckard stared at it, dumbfounded; he was scarcely able to believe his eyes. _Is this really the old saber that the old master of Dalaam gave to me...?_  
The new Shining Wind Sword had a longer blade than its previous form. It was true to the name "Shining"; the sword positively gleamed with radiance, and Deckard could see his reflection in the blade. Two white ribbons were attached to the crossguard, flowing gracefully in the wind. There was a glowing mark on the blade that Deckard could not recognize; it almost reminded him of one of Kaatz's pseals.  
Deckard walked over and slowly took hold of it. As he did so, the glowing pseal faded and disappeared from view. He smiled as he pulled it out of the ground, unable to take his eyes off of it. "This... is beautiful..." he stated. As he stared at it, transfixed, he realized what it could now do.  
At that moment, everyone there was filled with the energy of the Sanctuary, and all of their wounds and fatigue faded away.  
Karen woke up and got to her feet, looking around in amazement at Tempest Rock. She saw Deckard holding the Shining Wind Sword and was lost for words. Then she remembered the Sound Stone.  
She brought it out just as the next part of the melody began to play. As before, it did not seem to come from anywhere, but rather, it came from everywhere. As they listened to it, all their cares disappeared, and they were at peace.  
Then it cut off, just as it had the previous three times. And the Sound Stone began to glow with its inner blue light.  
Everyone looked as the Sound Stone played the melody from Lumina Pillar, and continued with the melody from the Tranquil Zone. It then replayed the melody of Lode Spire. Finally, it continued with the melody of Tempest Rock. When it reached the end, it went silent once more, and its light faded.  
"We... We did it," said Karen, holding up the stone. "We have the melodies from four Sanctuaries now."  
Kyla clapped her hands excitedly. "We're halfway there!"  
Guy nodded. "I hope that Sasha and Kato have been as successful as we have..."  
Deckard finally took his eyes off of the Shining Wind Sword and faced them. "I'm sure they're fine," he said.  
"I know they are," Karen agreed.  
Kyla turned to Captain Skyvar. "Thank you so much, Captain Barney," she said gratefully. "It's because of you that we were able to get to the Sanctuary."  
Skyvar turned red and looking away in embarrassment, scratching his stubble. "Shucks, it wasn' that much..."  
Just as Deckard was about to walk back to the others, he heard his father's voice one last time. _I'm glad you made some friends, son..._  
Deckard smiled and nodded, resting the Shining Wind Sword on his shoulder. _Me, too,_ he thought back. _I'm not alone anymore._

_**To be continued...**_


	34. Earthbound 202X Part 34

_**Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight**_

**Part 34: America**

"So this is America..." Zain remarked.  
He and Kato were standing outside of the sporting goods store in Reindeer, the American town to which they had teleported. It was a quiet day; the temperature was nice and warm with a cool breeze, and the sky was marked with fluffy white clouds. Judging by short conversations with passers-by, it seemed to be the normal weather conditions for this region.  
The town was not quite the same as the Hawkland towns that Zain was used to. The town of Reindeer seemed to encompass a large area, but did not seem to be fully developed. Much of the area within the town was rural countryside, with many of the buildings spaced few and far between. In the distance, he could see rolling hills dotted with trees.  
The streets of Reindeer were not very crowded. This was good luck for them, because when they had teleported to Reindeer from the Dusty Dunes Desert, no one had been around to see them appear in a flash of light.  
"It almost seems rather peaceful," commented Kato approvingly. "This is the most quiet land I have been to since leaving my homeland..." He sighed and shook his head, resisting the impulse to grasp the Mother Earth Sword hidden in his cloak. "Still, we must not let our guard down. I have overheard rumors that the Madness is here in this country as well."  
Zain nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right... It's a shame, though."  
"Okay, I'm done," announced Sasha, coming out of the store behind them.  
Zain turned around to greet her. "You found them?"  
She nodded, holding up a quiver of stainless steel-tipped hunting arrows. "I don't know how good I'll be with a bow, but at least I'll be able to use it now." She slung the quiver over her shoulder next to the beautiful Lumina Bow, which was currently strapped to her backpack.  
"I'm sure you'll be just fine with it," Zain encouraged. "Just think of it as a larger, more powerful slingshot."  
She laughed. "I never really saw it that way before."  
Kato smiled, offering his own encouragement. "Besides, Sasha, I am sure there will be opportunities for you to practice."  
Zain examined her bow, and then looked down at his side, where the Psion Blade hung from his belt, its blade carefully wrapped in its makeshift sheath. "You know, though, we're bound to attract a lot of attention going around armed to the teeth like this."  
"I know," Sasha agreed. "We haven't run into any police yet, but they're bound to ask questions about our weapons. And we'll never get through airports with these." Zain winced involuntarily at the word "airport."  
"It cannot be helped," Kato replied. "We need these weapons. And as I have said before, I will not be parted from this sword under any circumstances."  
"You're right," said Sasha. "Master Talah Rama gave me this bow. Even if I don't know how to use it, I definitely won't give it up."  
They all were quiet for a moment, reflecting back on recent events. During their time in the desert, all three of them had grown immensely fond of the kind old sage who had done his best to help them, and who had taught them things they had never even imagined.  
"...Well, at least now that we can teleport," Zain finally said, "we shouldn't really need airports anymore."  
Sasha moved over and stood next to him, noting his indirect referral to his acrophobia. "You're right, we probably won't need them anymore."  
"...We should probably move on," suggested Kato. "The last of the Chosen Eight awaits us."  
Sasha looked north. "The train station is that way," she said. "If I remember right, it's a bit of a walk, though."

The train station was north of the town, past a number of verdant fields surrounded by old wooden fences.  
The inside of the station looked rather old, but it seemed to have been kept clean well enough. A number of people were standing around or sitting on wooden benches, waiting for the train to arrive.  
As they walked over to the ticket seller, Zain observed that, contrary to his earlier concern, no one seemed to really notice the assorted weapons that the three of them were carrying. The few that did gave them no more than a passing glance. On the other hand, a lot of the people there also were carrying weapons of some kind; some people had handguns kept in holsters, and a man in blue overalls and a plaid flannel shirt was sharpening a long hunting knife. Other young men were carrying swords like Zain and Kato currently were, but they looked more like store-bought replicas. Even younger kids were carrying baseball bats, golf clubs, and other sports implements. Two police officers stood off to the side, armed with billy clubs and pistols, and one of them cradled a large rifle in his arm.  
Finally they reached the ticket seller. "Three tickets to Ellay, please," said Zain, reaching into his pocket to dig out some money.  
"That will be 42 dollars," the employee replied nonchalantly. "The next northbound train will be arriving from Spookane in about ten minutes."  
After paying, they found an empty bench and sat down to wait. "...I guess the Madness really IS in this country too," remarked Sasha. "Everyone's armed just like we are..."  
Zain nodded. "I bet things'll be the same back in Hawkland soon, if they aren't already..."  
"If nothing is done, things will only continue to get worse," Kato stated. "Soon all of the world will be feeling Giaguo's influence, if it does not already."  
With a sigh, Zain changed the subject. "What about this train, then?" he wondered. "Where all does it go to?"  
"I don't know," Sasha replied. "I never really learned that much about it..."  
She saw a discarded pamphlet lying on the floor, which somebody had apparently dropped or thrown away, and picked it up. She opened it up and started reading.  
"...It says in here that the rail line for the American Trans-Regional High-Speed Bullet Train runs from the town of Snowman all the way up to Ellay, in the north," she read from the pamphlet. "Along that route, it passes through Spookane, Reindeer where we are, and Merrysville at 2 places: Union Station in the north, and the newer Thanksgiving Station in the south. The train also used to stop at Youngtown, but it says that town was abandoned years ago."  
"An abandoned town?" Kato repeated curiously.  
"That's what it says," Sasha replied. "It also says that this train has been running since 197X; back then it was considered state-of-the-art mass transit technology."  
Zain looked around at the station in a new light. "No wonder it looks old..." he said. "It IS. Over fifty years..."  
"Attention travelers," interrupted the train clerk, using an old public address system built into the station, "the northbound train will be arriving shortly. Please prepare to board and ready your tickets."

They kept conversing even after the train pulled out of Reindeer Station, shuttling them at high speed to the northern parts of the region.  
"...You know what's weird?" said Zain, as he looked out the window at the American scenery speeding past them.  
"What is?" Kato asked.  
"After crossing all this distance to get to Ellay, we could go back to Reindeer in the blink of an eye, if we wanted," Zain answered. "Or for that matter, we could go back to Quattro City, or Primera, or even Dalaam, just by thinking about it." He sighed. "This whole teleportation thing really puts a new perspective on things."  
Kato fell silent, reminded again of his promise to return to Dalaam with the other Chosen Eight after mastering teleportation. As much as it bothered him to delay fulfilling that promise, there were people's lives at stake; Kato had no choice but to make the old master wait.  
"...It IS kind of weird, when you stop and think about it," Sasha agreed. "It really changes the way you look at traveling."  
Zain looked out the window again as the train suddenly entered a tunnel, and it became a lot darker; the only light came from the train's dim interior lights, and from a small amount shining in from the periodic light fixtures in the tunnel. "This is kind of fun, though," he admitted. "It's my first time riding a train."  
"I rode this train with my dad," said Sasha. "It was a long time ago, though." She smiled to herself, remembering the way her father had held her up to the window so that she could look out and see the countryside. _I was smaller than Shiloh and Shyla, back then..._  
Shortly, the train emerged from the tunnel, passing through rolling hill country again. "Attention all passengers," announced the conductor over the intercom, "we will be arriving at Thanksgiving Station in five minutes. All passengers bound for South Merrysville, please prepare to disembark."  
Just then, as he looked out the window, Zain began to see the sprawling super-metropolis that was Merrysville, America. After passing through the outskirts of the city, the train was soon surrounded by tall buildings and skyscrapers on both sides. The towers and buildings extended as far as they could see.  
Suddenly there was a jolt as the train seemed to turn upwards, as if it were going uphill. After climbing for about fifteen seconds, it peaked, leaving the train traveling roughly three stories off the ground.  
Shortly after changing altitude, the train began to slow, finally pulling to a stop at Thanksgiving Station, which was also located about three stories off of the ground.

Once the passengers bound for southern Merrysville had disembarked, and the new passengers had come aboard, the train sped off again, traveling on its raised track through the huge city.  
Sasha looked out the window at the buildings whizzing past. "The next stop is Union Station, once we've passed through most of the city," she said, remembering her old trip. "That's where Dad and I used to get off."  
"This city is so huge," Zain said in awe. "It's completely different from Reindeer."  
"Hmmph," Kato seconded, almost sounding annoyed. Zain recalled what Kato had said in Reindeer about the peace and quiet.  
Sasha nodded solemnly. "Dad told me once that Orange Enterprises contributed a lot to Merrysville's growth. It used to be really small a long time ago..." She looked out the window again, and pointed. "Look, you can see the company facility from here."  
Zain and Kato both looked; the Orange Enterprises base was even larger than they had imagined. _And to think that Guy is actually the heir to all this..._ Zain mused.  
"Dad also told me that this is the second largest Orange Enterprises base in the world, besides the original in Twoson," Sasha added.  
The intercom interrupted them again. "Attention all passengers, we will be arriving at Union Station in five minutes. All passengers bound for North Merrysville, please prepare to disembark."  
Zain sat back in the seat. "Looks like we're almost out of this city," he commented. "How much longer until we get to Ellay?"  
Sasha looked at the train pamphlet again. "Except for the abandoned station near Youngtown, there aren't any more stops until we get to Ellay," she answered. "According to this, it's a long way, though. We still have to pass through a lot of countryside, and we'll also pass just south of the Yucca Desert."  
Kato sighed. "As long as we do not have to pass through that desert on foot, I do not mind," he said. "One desert was quite enough for me."  
"That's for sure," agreed Sasha with a laugh. In her heart, however, she knew that if it was for Zain, she would do it all over again without a second thought.

Finally, the train left Merrysville behind, continuing onward.  
Sasha looked around at the rest of the passenger compartment. To her surprise, the vast majority of passengers on the train had all gotten off at one of the two Merrysville stops, leaving only a few other people. "Why is it so empty now?" she wondered. "I thought Ellay was a big city too."  
One of the other remaining passengers, a cynical middle-aged woman, overheard her. "A big cesspool, more like," she retorted.  
Blinking in surprise, Sasha turned in her seat to face the woman; Zain and Kato turned as well. "What do you mean?" Sasha asked.  
"Hmmph, you're clearly not from around here," the woman replied, "or else you probably wouldn't be going to Ellay in the first place. There's nothing up there anymore except for the South End, and even that won't last."  
Another passenger, a middle-aged man in a business suit carrying a briefcase, heard their conversation. "It's sad, really," he commented morosely. "It used to be a nice enough town, but almost everyone started leaving back when the Merrysville area started booming. I still live in the South End, but only because it's dirt-cheap to do it." He sighed. "Soon enough I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and move, though, the way things are going..."  
"The place is almost completely abandoned now," the woman continued. "Nothing left but garbage, stray animals and gangs warring for territory. Once you get there, you'll see how bad it is, and you'll want to leave too."  
Zain looked at her. "If it's so bad there, then why are you going there?" he inquired, unable to resist asking.  
"I'm going up to visit my good-for-nothing sister, who refuses to move out," the woman answered. "Otherwise I'd never go near the place." She looked away from them, mumbling to herself in irritation. "Who'd want to, with the swamp on top of it, and that creepy Mount Itoi hanging overhead..."  
Solemnly, Zain turned back to face his two companions. "If it's as bad as they say in this city, then it's no wonder Talah Rama said the last one of us was in danger."  
"Indeed," Kato seconded. "Ellay does not sound like a place we should linger in. We should find the last member, convince her to join us, and then teleport back to Apple Man's house in Twoson."  
Sasha's eyes widened as she suddenly realized that Jeff and Apple Man did not know what they were up to now. "Speaking of Apple Man and Jeff, we should call them and let them know how we're doing," she said, feeling stupid for not thinking of it before. "They haven't heard from us since Apple Man dropped us off at the desert; they don't even know you're awake again, Zain."  
"The thought had already occurred to me," Kato revealed. "However, I was hesitant to bring the matter up. What do we tell them about Zain's condition now?"  
All three of them immediately fell silent. Ever since leaving Talah Rama and the Dusty Dunes Desert behind, none of them had mentioned the pseal at all, even once.  
Zain closed his eyes. He had been trying not to think about the pseal; it was the only way he could act normally. _The darkness in my mind is still there... I can feel it. Eventually it's going to win, and then... I won't be me anymore._  
He opened his eyes and looked at each of them. "...We tell them the truth," he stated. "They have a right to know. And Guy, Karen, Kyla, and Deckard all have a right to know." He paused, closing his eyes again. "They have a right to know... that sooner or later, they're going to have to kill me."  
"No."  
Surprised, Zain opened his eyes again to find Sasha staring at him resolutely. "No, Zain," she repeated.  
"There's no point in arguing about it," Zain snapped at her. "We both know that's what has to be done. Once the pseal takes over completely... I'll be your enemy."  
Sasha shook her head. "That's not going to happen."  
Zain was struck silent as those words brought back a memory. Back when they were first starting out, back when it was just the two of them, he had said those same words to her. _That's not going to happen._  
"It's not," Sasha reiterated more forcefully. "You're going to beat this, Zain."  
Zain finally found his voice again. "I can't," he said. "There's nothing I can do about this."  
"You can," Sasha corrected. "You can do anything. I know you; I know there's no way you would let that pseal win."  
Searching for a retort, Zain was dumbfounded again as he realized he didn't have one. Sasha's forceful assertions had taken him aback. As he stared at her, he also came to the realization that this was the closest the two of them had ever come to having a fight.  
He backed down instantly, slumping back in his seat. _I don't want to fight with her,_ he thought forcefully. _I don't ever want to fight with her._  
"Look..." he finally said. "I'd rather not call Jeff and Apple Man right now. I'll call them when we get to Ellay." He paused. "...And when I do, we won't tell them about... what's happening to me, yet. When we tell them, I'd rather tell everyone at once."  
Kato, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, finally spoke up. "That is probably the best idea, Zain," he said in approval.  
Sasha nodded slowly. "Let's talk about something else," she suggested.  
Neither Zain nor Kato could disagree with that.

The train traveled onward, passing the Yucca Desert and into a pine forest. The three of them looked out the window as the train reached another station and continued without stopping, leaving it behind.  
The cynical woman from earlier noticed them staring out the window. "That was Youngtown Station," she informed them.  
Sasha turned to her. "The abandoned one?"  
The woman nodded in confirmation. "Just an empty building now," she said. "No sense stopping for a town that doesn't exist anymore."  
"Why was this town abandoned?" Kato inquired.  
"Same reasons as why the same thing's happening to Ellay now," she answered. "The swamp... and Mount Itoi."  
Zain looked at her, puzzled; this was the second time she had mentioned a mountain. "What IS Mount Itoi?"  
"Biggest mountain in this region," she answered. "Also the creepiest. No one ever goes near it."  
The businessman from earlier piped up. "They say something happened there about 40 years ago," he offered, "but no one knows exactly what."  
"Is there any way to climb it?" asked Kato out of curiosity.  
The woman shrugged, finally becoming disgusted with their questions. "I don't know, do I look like a Mount Itoi expert to you? Go check it out for yourselves if you're so interested. But you probably won't come back." She stood up and moved to another part of the train. "Freaking tourists..."  
"I don't know either," replied the businessman, more politely. "Most of the mountain is said to be sheer cliff, and extremely hard or even impossible to climb." He thought for a moment. "I did hear once that there's actually a network of caves that runs through the mountain, which you could possibly use to climb it. But even if that were true, why would anyone want to?"  
The three of them turned back to each other. "Well, even if we were interested, we don't have time to go check out a haunted mountain," Zain pointed out.  
"Exactly," concurred Kato. "It does sound curious, however."  
Sasha changed the subject. "I wonder what the last of the Chosen Eight will be like?" She looked up at the ceiling, trying to imagine. "What will she look like? What abilities will she have? Does she have PSI?"  
Kato shrugged. "All I know is that when Zain sees her, he will know."  
Zain was about to reply when the conductor spoke over the intercom one last time. "Attention all passengers, we will be arriving at Ellay-Valentine Station in five minutes. All passengers bound for Ellay South End, please prepare to disembark."  
"So we're almost there, then," said Zain. "I hope we can find the last member..."  
"We will," Kato assured them. "I am certain of it."

_**Meanwhile...**_

Samuel Maybee stood outside at the landing strip as the jet-black air transport slowly descended, coming to a rest on the ground.  
The craft was a newer design, a sleek aerodynamic vehicle propelled by electric jets. Its maximum speed was faster than most airplanes, and it was far more maneuverable than a helicopter. The reason why it had not yet come into widespread use, as it was with a lot of inventions and innovations of the current age, was that it was still too expensive for large-scale implementation.  
Of course, for the owner of Orange Enterprises, Inc., the wealthiest man in the whole world, cost meant nothing.  
Samuel tensed up as the aircraft's hatch began to open, folding out a set of exit stairs. Even though he was a high-ranking member of the company, Samuel had not met in person with Orangeman Orangere in over a year. Orangere highly valued his privacy; he almost always communicated with anyone through telephone or electronic messaging, and he almost never appeared in public.  
After the stairs unfolded all the way, two giant bodyguards in black suits and shades came out and surveyed the area; they looked more like professional wrestlers than bodyguards, and they looked out of place in suits. Satisfied that it was safe, one of them waved at the aircraft.  
At that moment, the man himself emerged and exited the vehicle: Orangeman Orangere, the most powerful man on Earth.  
His most prominent feature was his bright orange hair, the exact same color as his son's. Equally-orange eyes behind a pair of black-smoked sunglasses surveyed his surroundings with a nonchalant-yet-terrifying precision. Like all other times Samuel had met him in person, he was clad in a jet-black suit and tie, with a carefully-starched white shirt, and a long jet-black overcoat that matched his suit. His white-gloved right hand rested on a cane that looked like solid gold; a baseball-sized spherical diamond, which had been cut to look like an orange, adorned its top.  
Samuel stepped forward nervously. "Mr. Orangere, welcome to Troisemburg."  
His employer turned to him and gave a slight smile, the smile of someone who knew he was always in control of things. "Sam Maybee, it's definitely been a while," he stated. His voice was filled with the same quality as his smile; the voice of someone who controlled everything and was quite comfortable with it.  
Samuel winced slightly; he had never gone by "Sam" in his life. Only Orangeman Orangere ever called him that. "What can I do for you, Mr. Orangere?"  
Orangere turned to face him completely, resting slightly on his cane. "Well, Sam, I called you several days ago regarding my son. How is he?"  
Samuel nodded; Orangere had called him, asked about Guy, and then said that he planned to travel to the Troisemburg base for an inspection.  
"He's just fine," Samuel answered.  
It wasn't a lie--he hoped. He had not heard from his daughter or her steadfast group of friends ever since he had talked to them on the phone in Quattro City, when he had told them everything he knew about Lode Spire. He had been considering calling Sasha again for some time now, but he didn't want to sound overprotective. Samuel trusted Zain; for whatever reason, he knew in his heart that Sasha was safe with him no matter what. _And if Sasha is absolutely safe, then without a doubt Guy must be as well,_ he told himself.  
Orangere nodded slowly. "I see," he said. He paused slightly. "I have heard reports from some of the employees here that no one has seen him in more than a week." His eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses. "He IS still in the base, is he not?"  
Samuel did everything in his power to hide how nervous he was; he had really hoped to avoid this, but he had no choice now but to lie. "...Of course, Mr. Orangere," he replied emotionlessly. "He's just been a little under the weather lately, and he's been staying in his room all the time."  
Orangeman Orangere slowly brought his cane around in front of him and rested his other hand on it as well. "...I see," he said. "I see. That will be all."  
With a nod, Samuel inwardly sighed in relief. "Thank you, Mr. Orangere--"  
Orangere raised his left hand, cutting him off. "Don't," he said. "Don't bother thanking me, because I am about to say something very unpleasant to you."  
Samuel's sigh of relief died instantly. "I... I don't understand, Mr. Orangere--"  
"I think you do," Orangere interrupted again; his nonchalant gaze became an accusatory glare. "I already know all about everything, Maybee. I know my son is not here anymore; he is not even in Troisemburg anymore." There was no anger in his voice, but it chilled Samuel to the core anyway.  
The other man froze, lost for words. "H... H-How--"  
"How did I know?" Orangere finished for him. "At a young age, I had a locator device implanted in my son--" He raised his left hand and pointed behind his head, at the base of his neck. "--right here. I know where he is at all times--and not only is he not in Troisemburg anymore, he is not even in Hawkland anymore."  
Samuel just stood, unable to respond.  
Orangere continued his explanation. "The next question you'll probably ask is, 'Why, if I already knew this, would I come all the way here, in person, to ask you?' The answer is because I wanted to meet you face to face, and discover exactly what involvement you had in causing this situation, since you are the one in whom I had placed my son's care." His eyes narrowed, although his voice never lost its control. "That you have just lied to my face proves you are guilty."  
Samuel frantically searched his mind for something to say; the worst possible scenario had happened.  
"I am very, very disappointed in you, Sam," Orangere stated; the tone of his voice made his words sound like a death sentence. "You are one of my highest-ranking employees, and as such I have allowed you considerable lengths of power in order to do your job. You cannot imagine how disappointed I am that you have misused that power, and my trust, by doing what you have done."  
Finally, Samuel Maybee found his voice. "...Am I fired, Mr. Orangere?" he asked.  
Orangere raised an eyebrow. "That's all you have to say?" he inquired. "You're not going to apologize?"  
_If it's over, then it's over,_ Samuel thought to himself. He shook his head. "If I did, it would be another lie."  
Orangeman Orangere gave a slight nod. "I see," he said again. "Then it seems you've learned your lesson, and shown me some honesty after all." He nodded again. "Well done, Sam; your associate, Mark Wyrd, failed to correct that mistake."  
His words froze Samuel yet again. _Mark Wyrd is in trouble too?_ he realized. He hung his head, feeling terrible. _I never should have brought Sasha and the others to his house..._  
"To answer your question, Sam," Orangere continued, "no, I am not going to fire you. You may have made a foolish mistake, but you are still a valuable asset to my company; I have always been quite content with the results you have given me." He reached up and adjusted his sunglasses. "I can't say I will be trusting you with looking after my son again, but I am kind, Sam; I will promise you that when my men find my son and bring him back to me, no harm will come to your daughter."  
Samuel's eyes widened. _So he knew about Sasha, too..._  
Orangere motioned to his bodyguards. "I feel enough has been said on this matter for the time being," he declared. "Let's go inside for now; it has been a long trip, and I would like to rest."  
With that, Orangeman Orangere and his bodyguards entered the facility. Samuel followed behind, realizing with grave hindsight that he had seriously underestimated his employer.  
Orangere stopped and looked back over his shoulder at Samuel. "Oh, one more thing: you're going to have to find a new third member for your Scrabble team."

_**To be continued...**_


	35. Earthbound 202X Part 35

**_Earthbound 202X: The Chosen Eight_**

  


**Part 35: Fated Meeting**

When Zain, Sasha, and Kato exited the train station and saw the city of Ellay for the first time, they found that the things they had heard on the train failed to properly describe it.  
"Run-down" was the most generous thing that could be said about the South End of Ellay. Trash littered the streets, which were pockmarked with holes and cracks. Buildings were faded, crumbling, and covered with graffiti; most of them had moss and small vines growing on them. Occasionally a car drove by, sending the litter flying.  
As Zain looked in wide-eyed awe at the state of the latest town they had visited, he could see tall buildings in the distance. Almost all of them were cracked, and pieces had fallen away; he knew beyond a doubt that they had been abandoned long ago. The sky was covered with gloomy clouds, complementing the mood of the town.  
Looking to the east, he spotted a very tall mountain in the distance. From where he was standing, the peak seemed to jut into the heavens, disappearing into the clouds. From the conversations on the train, Zain knew exactly what he was looking at. _Mount Itoi..._  
As Zain looked at the mountain in the distance, he was suddenly filled with a very ominous feeling. _I don't know why, but I can feel that something is very wrong with that place..._ he thought. He forced himself to tear his gaze away, and the feeling faded.  
He turned to his friends. "No wonder people are afraid of that mountain," he said, gesturing at Mount Itoi. "You can feel something wrong just by looking at it."  
Sasha turned and looked at it, and shivered. "I see what you mean," she said, averting her gaze away from it.  
Kato looked as well, and closed his eyes. "That certainly helps to explain why this town is being abandoned," he stated with a nod.  
Sasha reluctantly looked again, and suddenly her mind was assaulted by a horrific sense of foreboding. "That place is evil..." she said.  
Zain looked over at her; Sasha's eyes had gone glassy and dull, as they seemed to do whenever her Premonition affected her. He moved over in front of her, blocking Sasha's view of the mountain; she blinked in surprise, back to normal.  
"We don't need to go there, so it doesn't really matter what's out at that mountain," Zain stated. "Let's just go sit down somewhere so we can call Jeff."  
They started to walk away into town. As they did, Zain looked back at the mountain, against his own advice. The ominous feeling returned, but oddly enough, he also suddenly felt a strange familiarity. Puzzled, he turned away, and the feelings disappeared.

The three of them walked a short distance and sat down at an old bus stop bench on the sidewalk. Sasha looked up at the nearby sign, wondering if a bus would be coming soon; however, most of the sign had been covered with graffiti, and the times listed on it were faded and mostly unreadable. It was unlikely that buses still ran in this town.  
Zain reached into his backpack and pulled out the Receiver Phone. He was about to dial the number when the phone started ringing. Surprised, Zain answered the call and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"  
"Zain, is that you?" asked Jeff's voice on the other end. "You're awake?"  
Zain grinned. "Yeah, it's me, Jeff," he confirmed.  
There was a bumping noise as Jeff put down the phone, and Zain heard Jeff yell in the background, "Hey Apple Man, Zain's awake!", followed by a more distant "He is? That's wonderful!"  
Finally Jeff came back to the phone. "It's good to hear your voice again, Zain," he said. "We were all really worried about you."  
"Well, I'm back now," said Zain. "Thanks to Sasha and Kato." Sasha blushed and looked away.  
"That's great," said Jeff. "So where are you three? Apple Man drove through the desert on his way back from Fourside, but he didn't find you guys at that old store, so he came back here."  
Zain looked around at the city. "We're in the city of Ellay right now."  
He heard Jeff gasp in astonishment. "Ellay? In AMERICA?"  
Zain nodded, even though Jeff couldn't see him. "Yeah, we're in America."  
"How did you get all the way to America?" asked Jeff.  
Zain looked over at Sasha. "Because Talah Rama taught us how to teleport."  
There was a pause. "...Just like he taught Ness," Jeff finally replied. "So he was still there..." He paused again. "So what are you doing in America? Or in Ellay, for that matter? I heard somewhere that it's a run-down dump."  
"It is," Zain agreed, glancing at his surroundings. "But we're looking for the last member of the Chosen Eight," he explained. "Talah Rama said we would find her here."  
"I see," said Jeff. "That's great news. I hope you can find her."  
Zain nodded again. "Me too." He looked up at the sky. "So how are the others doing? I heard they went to find the next Sanctuary."  
He could faintly hear Jeff adjusting his glasses. "They did," Jeff confirmed. "But they're not back yet, and we haven't heard anything from them since Apple Man dropped them off in Fourside."  
"I see," said Zain. "Well, when they get back, please tell them that we'll be teleporting back to Twoson once we've found the last member. Tell them to wait for us until then."  
"You got it," said Jeff. He didn't say anything for a moment. "It really is good to hear you awake again, Zain," he said. "We were all really worried about you."  
Zain was silent as he thought of the pseal again. _They should still be worried,_ he thought to himself. _Not for me, but for themselves._ He closed his eyes. "...Thanks, Jeff," he finally said. "I'll see you when we get back."  
He ended the call and put the phone away. "He said that Karen, Guy, Deckard, and Kyla haven't come back yet." He looked over at Sasha and Kato. "I hope they're okay."  
"I am certain that they are," stated Kato. "They are strong."  
Zain nodded. "They've probably gotten even stronger while I was out," he said. "You're right, they'll be fine."  
Sasha looked over at him; she could see the worry in his eyes. _Something else is troubling him, too..._ she thought. _And I bet I know what it is._

"So, how do you propose we go about locating the last chosen one, Zain?" asked Kato as they walked along the dirty street.  
"Maybe we should split up," Sasha suggested. "Like we did in Quattro City when we were looking for Lode Spire."  
"Splitting up and searching separately will not help us this time," Kato replied, shaking his head. "Zain is the only one who can identify the person we are looking for. Without him, we will not be able to find her."  
"Oh, that's right," said Sasha, feeling silly for forgetting.  
Kato turned to Zain. "So what do you think, Zain?"  
Zain stopped walking. "I don't know," he responded. "She could be anywhere in this city."  
He thought for a moment, and finally decided. "Okay... I think we should check the residential area of the South End first. From what we've heard about Ellay, just about everyone in this city lives here in the South End. So I think we have the best chance of finding the last member there."  
"Very well," said Kato. "That is probably the best we can do at this point, without knowing exactly whom we are looking for."

The residential district was about five minutes' walk away. Zain and the others arrived there to find that it was, if possible, even dirtier than the rest of the South End. What had probably once been a nice, quiet suburb had been transformed by time into what could only be called a slum. Every house had paint peeling off and siding missing in places, and their roofs were missing shingles. Almost every house had a fence around its yard, which was in no better condition than the house itself. The lawns were unkempt, covered in weeds, and looked as if they had not been mowed in at least a year. Most of the yards had garbage and discarded furniture strewn all over them. The cars in the driveways--for those houses which had them--were old, faded, and covered with rust.  
"This is awful..." said Sasha, horrified.  
Zain looked around. He could still see the broken tall buildings in the distance, in the other parts of the city. A quick glance over his shoulder told him that Mount Itoi was still visible in the east. He turned back around as a teenager on a skateboard whizzed by on the cracked sidewalk.  
Kato stood there, unable to hide the disgust on his face. "What a horrendous place," he remarked.  
"Yeah..." Zain agreed. "It's no wonder everyone's moving away to Merrysville."  
As they walked through the old suburb, Zain noticed that aside from a few skateboarders and shady people that looked unsettlingly like drug dealers, there actually weren't very many people out and about. _I guess this plan was a failure,_ he thought to himself. He had been hoping that in the residential area, they would see a lot of people around, but it looked as if almost everyone in this place stayed indoors. _With good reason,_ he added.  
Zain was about to stop and suggest that the three of them try something else when they saw a larger group of people ahead; it was the most people they had seen since coming to this part of town. "What's going on over there?" he wondered.  
"Let's find out," said Kato.  
They moved closer to the scene. Two people, about the same age as Zain and Sasha, were being confronted by a group of seven thugs, who had them surrounded.  
"Those people are all wearing blue scarves," Sasha whispered to Zain. She pointed them out; each of the thugs was wearing a dark blue scarf, either as a headband or an armband. "Are they from a gang?"  
"In this town, that wouldn't surprise me," Zain whispered back.  
The two people being confronted by the gang were not wearing blue scarves, or anything else that would signify them as being part of another gang. One of the two, a tall boy with light-brown hair in a torn jean jacket and a frayed pair of sweatpants, glared angrily at the Gang Members. "You guys have a lot of nerve coming down to the South End," he spat.  
"Yeah!" seconded the other, a girl with short-ish auburn hair who wore a nylon windbreaker that was too big for her over her T-shirt and shorts. "You already took the West End from us! Why aren't you people ever satisfied?"  
"We're just the first of many," retorted the lead Gang Member, who was wearing his blue scarf around his neck. "Soon all of Ellay will belong to the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang!" His eyes narrowed. "Besides, I remember you two from that mob that pulled Mila Aisengarde out of our grasp."  
"Yeah!" shouted the other Gang Members angrily.  
The young man folded his arms. "Of course we did," he said. "There's no way we would have left her with creeps like you!"  
The leader of the thugs sneered. "Well, now you're going to pay for that humiliation," he said, raising a length of pipe like a club. As if on cue, the other Gang Members readied weapons of their own. "And just so you two know who's about to kill you, my name's Ash," he informed them. "One of the commanders of the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang under Dangerous Tom."  
The two youths, both unarmed, looked at each other; there was no way they would be able to fight off all of their foes. "We were too careless this time, Nick," said the girl.  
The boy nodded. "I knew I should have brought my shotgun when we went out. I'm sorry." Then he adopted a fighting stance, in defiance of the odds against them. "I won't let them have their way, though. As long as I'm still alive, I'll fight them to the end!"  
"So will I," said the girl, raising her fists. "We'll show them the spirit of Home Base!"  
"Which is about to be crushed," interrupted Ash with a smirk. "I hope you got all of your goodbyes in, because--"  
Zain could no longer stand by and watch. "That's enough!" he shouted.  
Everyone turned to face Zain, Sasha, and Kato. "Who the heck are you people?" demanded Ash.  
Kato stepped forward. "Seven against two," he stated. "Have you no honor?"  
"Honor?" Ash replied disdainfully. "Ha!" He spat at the ground. "Tough talk like that gets people killed, you little twerp."  
Kato's eyes narrowed at the insult. "And you mindless brutes are about to pay for your misdeeds."  
Zain nodded in agreement. "If you're going to bully people, then just try bullying us!" he challenged. He reached down and pulled the Psion Blade out of his belt, leaving it wrapped up.  
Sasha pulled out her bow and readied an arrow to it. _I can't actually shoot, because I might hit the wrong people,_ she thought to herself, _but they don't know that._ "You people are the worst kind of scum!" she declared.  
Kato calmly reached into his cloak and drew forth the Mother Earth Sword, its amethyst blade sparkling in what little sunlight there was. "Prepare yourselves," he said without emotion.  
"Get them!" yelled Ash. Forgetting about their original targets, the Gang Members attacked all at once.  
Still not confident enough to shoot her bow, Sasha dropped her weapons and placed her hands on the ground, concentrating. "PSI Freeze Gamma!"  
A mass of ice formed along the ground and wrapped around the legs of three of the Gang Members, freezing them in place. "What the...?"  
Kato raised his hand at the first Gang Member who came after him and concentrated. "Brainshock Alpha." The Gang Member stopped moving, stunned, and looked around dumbly.  
One of the Gang Members came for Zain. Hefting the wrapped Psion Blade like a baseball bat, Zain took a powerful swing, catching the Gang Member in the stomach; he crumpled to the ground, defeated.  
The Gang Member whom Kato had stunned with his PSI finally appeared to recover, and raised his weapon, a large wooden chair leg. "I'll get you!" Then, inexplicably, he darted forward and took a swing at the sixth Gang Member, hitting him over the head and knocking him out cold.  
Sasha's eyes widened in surprise. "Why did he do that?" she asked.  
Kato looked back at her. "It was my Brainshock," he said. He walked up to the Brainshocked Gang Member and lightly struck him behind the head with the handle of his sword. The Gang Member slumped to the ground to join his comrades. "It is a power that clouds the mind and causes confusion." He gestured at the unconscious Gang Member with his sword. "He was unable to tell friend from foe."  
Sasha stared at Kato, surprised; she hadn't known he possessed a PSI power like that. She turned back to the three Gang Members she had frozen in place, to find that the two youths who had been the gang's original target had already knocked them out.  
Of the original group of enemies, only Ash remained, completely bewildered by what had just happened to his underlings. His astonishment quickly turned to rage as it dawned on him that his plans had gone completely awry. "So that's how it is?" he shouted furiously. "Then take this!" He pulled a handgun out of his coat pocket and pointed it at Zain. "Die!"  
He was interrupted by Sasha, who shot out her hand; she still had some mental energy left from concentrating for her PSI Freeze. "PSI Cryo-Prism Alpha!"  
Almost instantly, a flustered Ash was surrounded by giant sheets of ice, which came together and merged into a giant ice crystal, trapping him inside. He stared out through the ice, glaring hatefully at Sasha. "You..."  
Sasha, still holding her hand out, glared right back, her blue eyes radiating more ice than she could ever produce. "I won't ever let you hurt Zain," she said forcefully. She hesitated a moment... And then she let her hand fall to her side.  
The ice crystal slumped over on the ground, leaving Ash trapped inside. Kato walked up to it, impressed by Sasha's new abilities. _So that is the power that defeated La-Renz's illusion,_ he thought admiringly. _It is a truly impressive attack._  
He stared through the ice at the prisoner inside. "When you get out of there," he said calmly, "think twice before attacking us again."  
"You'll pay for this," Ash snapped back. "Dangerous Tom will make you pay!"  
Zain, astonished by what he had just seen Sasha do, walked up to her. "Sasha, what WAS that?" he asked, putting away the Psion Blade.  
Sasha turned to him and smiled. "Something I learned a little while ago," she answered. "What do you think, Zain?"  
Zain smiled back at her. "I think it was really cool," he said sincerely. "You've gotten a lot stronger while I was out, haven't you?"  
Sasha blushed and shook her head. "N-Not really..."  
They were interrupted by the boy and girl whom they had just helped. "Thanks for helping us out," said the boy. "We were in a really tight spot there."  
"Yes, thank you so much," said the girl.  
Zain grinned. "I'm just glad you're both safe," he said. "Does that happen a lot around here?"  
"No, they've never come down to the South End before," said the girl. "That's why they caught us off guard."  
The boy nodded in agreement. "I guess when Mila said they were planning to attack the South End, she really meant it." He sighed. "Anyway, thanks again for helping us." He stuck out his hand. "I'm Nichols Sharwood of Home Base. Everyone calls me Nick."  
The girl smiled at them. "Jenna Sayne of Home Base. Pleased to meet you."  
Zain shook Nick's hand. "I'm Zain Maximillian," he said. "These are my friends Sasha Maybee and Kato. I'm just glad we were able to help you."  
"Well, you sure did, Zain," said Nick. "And the way you guys did it was really impressive. I've heard about psychics, but I've never seen any before." Before any of them could say anything, he continued. "So what brings you to the worst city in America?"  
Kato folded his arms. "We are searching for someone."  
"Really?" Jenna replied. "Who are you looking for that would be in a place like this?"  
Zain sighed. "That's the problem," he answered. "We don't know. All we know is that she is in this town somewhere, and I'll know when I find her."  
"I see..." said Nick, sounding confused. He shrugged and smiled at them. "Well, anyway, since you guys helped us, why don't you come back to Quincy's with us for now? You can rest there for now, and get something to eat. And then maybe we can do something to help you find your mystery person."  
Zain looked over at Sasha and Kato; neither of them had any objections. "Sure," he said, "we'll take you up on that. I'm kind of hungry anyway."  
"Great!" said Nick. "Just don't expect too much, though... We don't have a lot of money, and also, we're getting ready to leave this town."  
"Why are you leaving?" asked Sasha, puzzled.  
Nick looked back at her. "Because of stuff like what you just saw," he said. He gestured at the giant ice crystal, with Ash still trapped inside. "That group was only the beginning. Soon the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang is going to be all over this place, and anyone who still lives here will be caught up in it or driven out." He turned to face them. "Our group takes care of a lot of children, who will be in danger when that happens. So we have to go."  
"I understand," said Zain. "In that case, you don't have to do anything for us."  
"Indeed," Kato added. "We were more than glad to help you."  
Nick shook his head. "That isn't what I meant," he said. "I just wanted you to understand what's going on with us before you see where we live." He grinned sheepishly. "Because it's kind of embarrassing to look at."  
"Please, come with us," agreed Jenna. "It's really no trouble."  
Zain looked at them. "Well, alright," he said. "But we won't take up much of your time, I promise."

Nick and Jenna led them through the dilapidated residential area. As they walked, the two youths explained to Zain and his friends what Home Base was and how it worked.  
Zain came to learn that Home Base was originally situated in the abandoned West End of Ellay. It was a community of young people who had banded together in order to take care of each other. Home Base's highest priority was taking in and caring for orphaned, homeless children with nowhere to go. Their members all had certain jobs to perform, such as defending the group or earning money to buy food.  
Then the Neo-Bla-Bla Gang had appeared, and they had quickly taken over the East and North Ends of Ellay. Although the Defenders of Home Base had done their best to keep them away, the gang eventually overpowered them and conquered the West End as well.  
Finally they reached their destination, a tiny house on the western edge of the residential area that looked just as old and dirty as the buildings around it. "This is Quincy's house," Nick explained. "He's one of the Providers. He'll probably be out working right now, but Mila and Carl should be here." He opened the door, and they went inside.  
The door opened into the small living room of the house. The interior was cleaner than outside, and it was dimly lit with some old-looking floor lamps. There was a worn, well-used sofa against one wall, and a small television set that looked at least 20 years old against the other. The TV was turned on, and the daily news report was currently playing; even the TV station where the news was being filmed looked old and run-down. "...And for the weather forecast, it looks like those clouds aren't going anywhere for the next few days. We may even see a little rain," said the news anchor, who wore an old-looking suit. "Moving on to current events, there have been reports of increased gang activity lately. Although this activity has usually remained confined to the abandoned areas of town, more and more reports are showing them moving very close to, or even within, the South End. In addition, reports of sightings of animals in the wild that have been infected by what is most commonly known as 'the Madness' have been increasing at an alarming rate. It is highly recommended that all citizens exercise extreme caution, and never travel anywhere alone. Moving on to the sports, the Merrysville Barbots scored a resounding 10-3 victory in yesterday's baseball game against the Spookane Spectres. The next game between the Podunk Canaries and our own Ellay South End Seagulls is scheduled for tomorrow evening..."  
As Nick shut the door, they heard a girl's voice from elsewhere in the house. "Is that you, Nick? Did you bring back the pizza?"  
"I'm sorry, Mila, but Jenna and I got into some trouble on our way to Mach Pizza," Nick called back. He turned to Zain, Sasha, and Kato and sighed. "We were on our way to get some supper when you found us," he admitted.  
"You ran into the gang?" the voice exclaimed.  
"Unfortunately, yeah, we did," Nick confirmed. "But these three people saved us. We brought them back here so they could get some rest."  
At that moment, Mila Aisengarde entered the living room, and Zain and his friends saw her. She was remarkably attractive, with long blond hair and sharp hazel eyes. Her face had a look of defiance about it, and yet it also seemed full of compassion and understanding. She wore a white T-shirt and an old pair of gym shorts. To Zain's surprise, her right leg was wrapped up in a splint, and she supported herself on a pair of crutches. But his biggest surprise was yet to come.  
As Zain looked up and made eye contact with Mila, he was suddenly assaulted by a sensation he had come to recognize during his journey. For the final time, he had an odd feeling of deja vu, an unsettling inkling that he knew this person, even though he was positive he had never seen her before. As the feeling passed, Zain knew for certain that their search was over.  
Noticing Zain's intent stare, Mila tilted her head to one side quizzically. "Is there something on my face?"  
Zain looked at Sasha, and then at Kato. "...It's her," he declared. "She's the one we're looking for."

**_Meanwhile..._**

In his private quarters on board the mothership, Mister P pounded his fist against the wall, shaking with rage.  
"It's not fair," he declared furiously. "Why does HE still get the last laugh? If it wasn't for HIM, I'd have Giaguo's complete trust by now, and then I'd be set for the next part of my plan!" He slammed his fist against the wall again. "But HE got in my way again, just like thirty years ago! He's dead, and he still gets in my way!"  
He had returned here after being sent away by Giaguo. His terror at how close he had been to being killed by the master had faded, leaving only his anger at having been thwarted yet again by the offspring of his late nemesis.  
Mister P turned around, completely livid. "It should have been easy to beat that girl. It should have been simple. And yet through her, Ness still interferes with me! It's not fair!"  
He reached over at a chair and flung it across the room. "It's my destiny to rule. It's my destiny to be the greatest!" He pounded his fist against the wall a third time. "It's my destiny, and yet Ness still stands in my way! IT'S NOT FAIR!"  
As he raged throughout his quarters, looking for something else to hurl, he tripped over the chair he had thrown and fell, cracking his head against the metal frame of his desk.

When he awakened, he was sprawled on the floor next to his desk.  
Mister P slowly stood up, holding a hand to his aching forehead, and looked around the room. His quarters was a mess, the result of his recent temper tantrum.  
Mister P righted his chair and sat down on it, thinking. _Slow down,_ he berated himself. _You didn't get to where you are by going berserk every time something doesn't go your way._  
He sighed, feeling calmer. "Now think," he said aloud to himself. "Why do I keep losing to her?"  
Because he had never actually considered Karen as a serious opponent. He had allowed his anger to get the better of him, and it had blinded him to what he was truly dealing with. She was strong, possibly even stronger than Ness had been. _And considering how my fights with her have gone, she's only going to keep getting stronger,_ Mister P thought. _I have to take this into account for the next time I face her._  
"No more messing around," he said. "No more underestimating her. Next time I go after her, I'll be well-prepared." He nodded again. "I'll deal with her the same way I dealt with her parents."

He began to plan for his next encounter with Karen. The most obvious way to defeat her was to overwhelm her with an army of Starmen Elite, the same way he had brought down Ness and Paula. But it was not a feasible option; Mister P had lost Giaguo's favor with his recent failures, and it was unlikely that the master would approve such a large-scale dispatch of Starmen for him. Unfortunately, he was going to have to handle the matter himself.  
That decision presented the next problem: Karen was too strong for him to deal with by himself. Even if he managed to acquire a stronger portable psychic shield that Karen would not be able to break through--a highly unlikely scenario--the armaments equipped to the Personal Assault Armlet hidden in his sleeve were not enough to defeat her. To win, he was going to have to find some way to level the playing field between them.  
Mister P turned to the personal computer in his room and scoured the mothership's huge database, searching for something he could use. After about ten minutes, he found what he was looking for; the answer almost seemed laughably simple.  
With this option, he soon had a plan formed. It was risky; he would have to appropriate some rare and valuable resources without permission, and if Giaguo found out too soon what Mister P was up to, the alien would surely kill him. But once he carried it out, he would have a prize to regain Giaguo's favor and be forgiven. And from there...  
Mister P's mouth curved upward in a smile of the utmost dark intent; he hadn't felt this good in a long time. "I hope you're enjoying yourself, Karen," he said. "Because soon I'll have you right where I want you, and I promise that you won't be enjoying yourself then." He laughed evilly. "And after I've finished with you, you'll be joining your pig's butt father, and finally he won't haunt me anymore."  
He would regain Giaguo's trust. _And once I do... Well, all good things come to those who wait._

**_To be continued..._**


End file.
